Resident Evil: Code Genesis FE
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: POST RE5. Ten years have passed since the incident of Kijuju. Several scientists uncover the remains of a thought-to-be-dead Albert Wesker. Some things, though will never stay dead, and they find themselves at his mercy. WeskerXOC
1. Chapter 1: The Dawn

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

By: VampireQueenAkasha

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter One: The Dawn**

Planet Earth.

A sinister silhouette loomed by the gleaming azure globe. It was a satellite in a geostationary orbit that appeared to be in a fixed position. It was collecting audio files and speeches from information across the entire planet; cell phone receptions, data transfer through radio, television signals, etc. All across the world, information was being received and sent back in such a short time through the large dishes situated on both sides of the drifting machine.

The satellite's plates had all but been scratched and dimmed of their normal black color; you would have never guessed that it wasn't that aged. It had no visible markings of possession on it, save for a bizarre, and color-less logo of the Umbrella Corporation lying just beneath the "belly" of the machine.

"_ - - You could make all sorts of things."_

"_ - - Got a pulse? No, boss. Hold it. We got it right here."_

" _- - It's Uncle Ralph, long distance from California!"_

"_ - - Come on. I promise, Mom."_

"_ - - What book? Any one you want ... Spiderman ... "_

The satellite continued with its menacing, silent orbit around the world, devices whirring around it, knobs beeping and gears whirring. Its solar panels folded slightly backwards as a gleam of the fiery star that could only be the sun appeared around the corner. It seemed focused on a particular spot inside planet Earth, just over the Pacific Ocean.

_200 Miles from Kijuju_

The ocean was placid, carrying graceful, delicate waves toward an isolated fishing trawler. It seemed to be the only massive boat for miles with music that blared loudly across the soundless ocean waters. Along the sullied, aged hulls of the ship, faded burgundy words spelled out the words "Jersey Baby".

The seagulls passing by high in the sky circled it slowly with chorus' of caws and chirps, watching an extensive column of smoke, caused by a smoking grill on board the ship. The grill was roasting with scrumptious burgers and hotdogs and other delectable foods.

Standing at the grill was a man appearing to be in his late 20's, singing to Korn's "Word up" and using a spatula as a microphone. Here was Jonas Burton, a somewhat overweight man wearing a brown cap to cover his eyes and a thin Hawaiian shirt with auburn shorts. He was an unusual man with a charming sense of humor and an optimistic clutch on life. Jonas was a good friend to most people and like all friends, got on their nerves at times, but most of the time, he was there for anyone who needed him.

"The meat's almost done guys!" he hollered. "Hope you guys are as hungry as I am!" He added then, in a low voice of amusement. "Impossible, but hey … "

He was making hamburgers and even T-Bone steaks for his friends who were…as usual, working and he was not. It wasn't like he was entirely useless; he was in fact, a physics researcher like the rest of them-very intelligent. But from time to time, he would get easily bored rigid with his work to the point that he would slack off and usually get in trouble for it. But his trouble was wavered often times due to the connections that he had. He could be serious, but most of the time, he just chose not to be.

Jonas had been a part - time gas - station assistant before he went off to college. He remembered wanting to be a physicist because he was so good with statistics, chemicals, and all that implied. He was usually bored with working a lot and felt that sometimes, one could work too much. He had never been in trouble too much growing up and usually kept to goofing off in subtle, harmless ways. He believed that it kept you smiling and never let the terrible times get you down.

"Word up!" Jonas sang, grinning, with his words. "It's the common word … " He leaned back dramatically and pantomimed playing a guitar.

"Jonas!" came the shout from 25 year old Kirk Matthews at the Doppler placed on top of the communication's tower just overhead. "Get that jolly ass up here and do some work for a change!"

"Jonas? Work?" a woman called from inside of the ship through an open door. "That would be the day, Kirk!"

Kirk Matthews was a handsome man with a very cynical outlook on life and sometimes, when situations got bad, it took a while for him to get back onto his feet. He wore glasses that constantly fell down his nose and was quite scrawny, wearing a thin turtle neck shirt and jeans beneath a soiled white apron. He had some muscle mass to him, but more or less, he was more of a "scholar" and not a "lifter", studying molecular subjects and viruses.

He had a problem with Jonas and didn't really consider him a "friend" but more of an acquaintance.

It wasn't like Kirk had too much of a problem with his fellow worker and he wasn't a jerk all the time, he just hated the fact that Jonas got away with a lot of things that would normally get someone fired. It wasn't fair to the rest of them who actually DID a lot of work.

"Hey, come on, baby!" Jonas laughed, over his shoulder. "You know that greasy shit ain't for me!"

Kirk rolled his eyes and shook his head with dismay at the joke. He turned to go, thought about that, and pointed one finger down at the grill. "Yet you shove it down your fat gut all the time!"

Jonas flipped him off without looking back and smirked dryly. "Fuck you!" he hollered. in a comical voice.

Kirk scoffed and curled his nose sourly at the curse. "Why does she put up with you? I don't get it!" he called down to him.

Rose Bedford was their team leader and an intelligent researcher of 23 years. Their tasks were to observe the ocean waters for any bizarre changes since the "zombie" incidents and to make sure no wildlife had suffered any sudden changes that would suggest a repeat of anything like that again. It was a tedious job, because most of the time, they found nothing too serious. But it was a job nonetheless.

Kirk remembered the first time that he had heard about the viral outbreak in Raccoon City. Many doctors and researchers had tried to gather samples of this "T - virus", but with the destruction of the city, everything had been wiped out off of the face of the Earth. Many rumors went around that Umbrella had been the cause of the virus and the destruction of so many lives.

Unfortunately, any implications of the organization soon disappeared and Umbrella was let off of the hook. Shortly after that, however, Umbrella's stocks had begun to plummet and soon, the company began to degrade. After that, Umbrella became nothing more than a memory as various other 'competition' took the chance to rise to the top.

Kirk had never really spent a lot of time thinking about it, but he knew that Umbrella was at fault.

Jonas suddenly turned and made a very rude gesture down to his stomach and swayed his hips from side to side. "Cuz I got da lovin' in my oven!" he joked, laughing.

Sitting at a desk underneath an awning was 22 year old Tanya Harding, as sarcastic and witty as Kirk was, even when she wasn't trying to be. Tanya was your average young college graduate who had just entered into business with these researchers. She was ignorant to their ways and their ideas, but she had been with them long enough to know that Jonas was a pain in her ass. She liked him a little bit, as he could make her laugh sometimes, but work came first, that was her motto.

She was beautiful too, wearing a white lab coat and going over several data files. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and occasionally, whipping her in the face from the ocean winds. She smirked over at Jonas and gestured with the point-end of a compass.

"It's all in that ass." she added, laughing.

"Yeah?" Jonas snapped, waving the spatula at her. "I know a certain _ass _that can go without lunch, then!"

"You should be down in the kitchen," Tanya told him, a light frown now touching the corners of her forehead. "That smoke is going to attract too much attention to others out there. We don't need to run into any pirates right now."

No sooner had she spoke, Rose appeared at the top of the cruise ship, smiling. She was wearing a black tank top beneath a white lab coat and reading glasses set on her face. She was wise-cracking, bold and courageous, and quite attractive considering that it was obviously not a focus of hers. She had that natural beauty that most men delighted in; her hair was short and black, ruffling around her cheeks where she occasionally brushed the locks behind her ears.

Rose was also a woman, who put focus on her friends before herself, but like all people, she had the compatibility to be selfish but she kept those feelings aside. Her friends still knew very little about her. Rose had a peculiar secret, one that she never let interfere with her work.

"Jonas?" she said. "If you don't do something constructive, I might have to consider tossing you overboard. I hear sharks like a good side of beef every now and again."

Jonas blew her a kiss at the joke and took nothing literally by it. "Promises, promises!"

Kirk scoffed and rolled his eyes, giving Rose a sideways glance. "You know, for the life of me. I cannot understand why you hang out with that asshole," he said, "All he does is eat us out of ship and food."

"He's a friend, Kirk," Rose told him, keeping her attention on the machine before her. "Sometimes you might not always get 'em, but they're friends and that's good enough for me."

"I'd rather have a new dishwasher. It does more work in a few hours than he does his entire life … " the man snapped, rolling his eyes.

Rose turned to the Doppler with a small laugh; a large satellite dish with a computer system attached to it below that digitally relayed information regarding weather changes and patterns in storms. Only this particular device traced contamination that may or may not reveal itself in the rain.

Rose slowly looked out toward a storm that seemed to have been heading their way; large, black ominous clouds rumbled heavily and jagged bolts of lightning danced wildly through them. Various seagulls seemed to have been flying away from the storm, shrieking out warnings to one another to get to safety.

"Kirk!" she said. "Give me a reading!"

Kirk hurried down the stairs at the console as soon as the words left her lips. He immediately typed in a few keys, bringing up digital sheets of information and equations that displayed data of the storm ahead. He chuckled softly and leaned back, cocking his head to one side as he called up to her.

"Alright, boss," he replied. "Which way do you want it pointed?"

Rose continued to watch the stormy clouds, the wind rustling her hair into her eyes. "Give me a sector scan west, northwest, check for rotation in the mid - levels and increase the PRF."

The music on the radio had changed to AC/DC's "Back in Black". Jonas was grinning and dancing to it, lip-synching. Tanya rolled her eyes at his dancing and tossed her pencil at the back of his legs. He jolted and spun around, giving her a confused, yet playful shrug.

"Have Beth take samples of the precipitation once it starts," Rose continued. "And make it quick, too. I don't want the equipment getting wet."

"Sure thing, boss lady. As you command." Tanya said, flashing a grin. She bent down to her collection of documents and gave an angry groan, feeling how soggy they were. "Goddamn it, Jonas!" she snapped, "I told you time and time again not to leave these near the tanks!"

"You tell me a lot of shit … " Jonas said, casually shrugging his shoulders. "Doesn't mean I'm listening."

Rose tapped the Doppler's Auto Focus with a frustrated sound. Its lighting flickered in and out slightly with a few weakening humming sounds to follow. Rose sighed and she gave it a swift kick to the side. She hated this; her equipment was dying out on her. She didn't need that right now during the studying. Kirk watched her aggravations with a quiet laugh and a shake of his head.

"Dammit, this thing's fucking useless." she cursed.

"Sorry, Rose!" Kirk called.

She paused and looked out toward the ocean, something in the distance catching her eye. She ignored the sounds of Kirk and Jonas arguing yet again and continued to watch the drifting object curiously, stepping to the side to attempt to get a better look at what it was. It didn't look to be moving at all.

"Hey, Jonas, don't eat all the hot dogs!" Kirk protested.

"Why?" Jonas countered, "I thought you wanted me to stuff greasy shit down my gut?" Jonas countered. He watched Kirk finger through several black and white photos before he smirked broadly. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

Kirk pretended like he wasn't fazed by the question. "Nervous? No. Why, do I look nervous?" He casually glanced up toward Rose's position and heaved a sigh, knowing exactly where this conversation was going to go. "I'm not. Okay?"

Tanya got into the conversation and chuckled. "Well, yeah you do, a little."

"Look, Rose always shines you every chance she gets," Jonas told him. "Just do your job and forget about asking her, alright?"

Kirk gave him a sour look and rolled his eyes. "Yeah?" he snapped, "And when are you going to do your job, Jonas?"

"Hey, I'm just saying. Don't kill the messenger, bro."

"I ain't your bro."

"Hey, Tanya!" Rose called, keeping her eyes on the object out at sea. "Can you tell Sam to pull up the ship out toward that?"

Tanya quickly climbed up to see what it was she was talking about and furrowed he brow, confused. It looked like a dead animal from where they were standing, but they couldn't be too sure due to the distance of it. It could have been anything.

"Sure." She said. She cupped her mouth and walked away to the bridge of the ship. "SAM! Take the ship 15 feet north, northeast!"

Sam, the crew's servant was sitting in a lounge chair at the Bridge, taking a drink of soda and keeping watch on the sonar. All around him were contemporary electronics, including navigation and communication equipment, fish detection devices, and equipment to control and monitor gear.

Much of this equipment could be controlled from this particular spot on the ship. Smaller trawlers have wheelhouses, where electronic equipment for navigation, communications, fish detection and trawl sensors are typically arranged about his chair.

Sam was quite old and feeble - looking, not to mention bitter, like most elderly men could be. Sam had once been a soldier for the US Army and retired, looking for some side-work to do in the meantime. It wasn't much, doing what he did; but anything was better than nothing at all.

When he heard the command, he gave an annoyed grunt, sitting up in his chair and walking to the wheel. He wrapped his hand around the lever that activated the thrusters of the ship. The propellers roared to life and he immediately spun the wheel, performing a slow, calculated turn in the direction that he was ordered.

Once he stopped it at the desired coordinates, he scoffed and sat back down, opening a porno magazine.

"Yeah, you're welcome … " he muttered.

O

Rose and her comrades stood at the edge of the ship, looking down into the water. Their eyes were wide in shock and disbelief at what they saw floating there. It was obviously a man; his body tattered and burned beyond all recognition. He was drifting face - down, so it was hard to tell who it was at the second.

"Get the net," Rose ordered. "Reel him in. And tell Beth that I want the med bay prepped S . T . A . T . "

"You got it." Tanya replied. "Beth's been bored all day anyway. She'll like having something to work on."

Jonas uttered a closed - mouth chuckle at that. It was true; Beth had been complaining about having nothing to do these past few hours.

Once the dead man was brought onto the ship through a large fishing net, he was turned onto his back for proper identification. Unknown to these scientists, this was Albert Wesker, the legendary traitor to various corporations, but mostly to Umbrella. They had not known what transpired before he had ended up like this. All they saw was a dead man with no name, no past and obviously no present. Should this man have been alive here with them; they would have been in grave danger.

He was tall, his broad shoulders singed with black and a strange ooze-like mass, abdomen rippled with muscle. His right shoulder had various pieces of metal and wire jammed into the flesh there, two of them at least a foot long. The smell coming from him was horrible - - sour and ripe, like he had been dead for a while.

Rose coughed against the smell, nearly retching. A hand went to her mouth and she forced back several hard swallows to keep down the vomit.

Jonas turned his head, grimacing, wafting the air and waving a hand in front of his face. "Jesus, that's rank as hell... " He turned back, making a small note of the blackened, yet yellowish, pus-filled flesh where Wesker's chest used to be. His face was covered in burns and mild lacerations from what could have been a concussion due to a heavy explosion. "What the hell happened to this guy?"

Rose furrowed her brow and she spoke behind her covered mouth. "I don't know, Jonas," she said. "But we're going to find out."

Wesker's body was taken to the medical bay. The room itself was poorly lit, but just enough light revealed that the room itself was not very big. Rows upon rows of equipment took up nearly half of the space in the room as well as an operating table in the center.

27 year old Beth Underwood immediately performed checks and study onto the subject. She was an African American woman who did not tolerate any nonsense from anyone and was bold above all things. She had no real fear of any man or thing in the world and had faith in her Christian God. She was also very intelligent and close friends with Rose. Beth had always taken care of Rose the day they met as children.

Beth was also quite beautiful as well; her eyes stood out the most, a bright frightening blue and her hair was long, tied in a bun. She had a strange scar on her right arm which was from a bar-fight that she had gotten into protecting Rose from two perverts who had picked the wrong day to piss her off.

"Shit, this guy's immune system is so out of whack!" she gasped, using a set of tweezers to pry a piece of metal from Wesker's arm. Her movements created sick, wet sticky sounds that caused Jonas to visibly grimace in disgust.

Rose nodded and looked to the other doctors in the room. "I want that tested for any abnormalities," she told them. "Any changes in blood count, tissue … anything." She gave Jonas a look. "That goes for you too."

He smirked uneasily under her unwavering glare and hurried over to a strange machine. It would test the blood cell count, fluids, and any other liquids in his body for anything that might cause concern.

Beth inhaled deeply and looked down at the wide, lifeless eyes, frozen in horror and pain. "I don't know who this guy is … but what's all over him has got me … " A sharp grunt of effort as Beth removed a piece of bone from the jutting rib alongside Wesker's torso. "… a little concerned."

"Why do you say that, Beth?" Rose asked, watching Jonas check the piece of metal underneath a microscope. She raised a brow as he absently rubbed his left foot with his right one.

"It's not … a virus … " Beth told her. "It looks like more like a separate organism. It … seems to have a will of its own, a unique structure of sentience." She gestured to the computer near them, displaying samples of Wesker's blood. "It seems to have an irregular effect on the ocular tissue. This guy's muscle seems to be very unhinged as well. It limits itself to muscle tissue and the lower organs, leaving the brain relatively undamaged. This breakthrough means that the subject's mind is retained and no ill effects take place."

Rose blinked at that and looked toward Jonas. "What about the chemistry panel?" she asked.

Jonas reached for a computer print-out of Wesker's chemistry and shrugged his shoulders. "Blood sugar level is three times below the median, phosphorous and uric acids are off the scales." he told her.

"Is it dangerous?" Tanya asked, worried.

Beth shook her head. "The man's took some nasty hits from something and the burns should guarantee that whatever was inside him is long dead by now. It should not be contagious to humans through direct contact, but I still want to be careful, just in case. I don't entirely know what I am dealing with here."

One of the doctor's at her side suddenly gave a sharp cry of pain, jerking his arm back into his hand. All heads turned in his direction. He had cut his hand on the shards of metal in Wesker's arm and a pool of crimson began to form in the center of his hand. The doctor cradles his hand and looked at them pitifully, mostly embarrassed for his clumsiness.

"Hey!" Beth shouted, angry as well as concerned for her fellow researcher. "Wash that shit off right now! I'm still not sure if any contact will still guarantee an nasty infection. I don't want to have to put a bullet in between your eyes."

The doctor nodded anxiously, several drops of blood dropping uselessly onto Wesker's chest and face. He was far to concerned for his own well - being to worry about something like that at the very moment. He went to the sink and began to wash his hand off with soap and water.

"We need to continue with this first thing tomorrow morning when we're up and alert," Rose said. "It's getting late and we need to get some sleep before the storm hits. We've been at this for a while. I don't want anyone falling asleep on the job."

"Thank the lord." Jonas muttered, dropping his things and walking out of the room.

Beth covered Wesker's body with a large white tarp and they all left the room, shutting the lights off in the process. While they disappeared into the hall, their conversations fading in the distance, Wesker's fingers suddenly twitched once.

O

Rose was brushing her teeth in her personal bathroom and a large, Golden Retriever walked into her room, tail wagging wildly and mouth open in a pant of happiness. Rose smiled and petted the dog with her free hand.

"Aww, hi, Mac, what's up, big guy?" she crooned, mouth full of froth and foam, "You just want some attention, huh, boy?" A soft whimper answered her and she laughed. "I'll get you a treat in a minute, okay?"

Rose's room was small, but still quite comfortable for her. A bed in the corner was covered with books and a few clothes. A few trinkets and objects littered a desk across the room and a few photos were hung up along the walls.

Kirk walked into the room, hands stuffed in his pockets. He smiled at her and knocked on the doorway once to indicate he was there. Rose turned and smiled, holding out one finger to tell him to wait while she spat her leftover toothpaste into the sink.

"Everyone's asleep and Sam's on duty tonight," he told her, as soon as she finished. "I was wondering if I can check the radar once more before I get to bed. The rotation had me a little concerned. I'm sure it's nothing, but I want to check, just in case."

"Sure, go ahead."

Kirk watched her for a few moments. He was always hoping that some day, he and Rose would get together. He secretly had a thing for her, but she was so busy with work and everything, she did not acknowledge this at all. Maybe she did and did not show any interest. Either way, Kirk had wished she'd at least let him down easy if not any time soon.

"Hey, Rose," Kirk began. "Uh, after this job, do you want to … you know … ?" He trailed off and watched Rose's lips part in a quiet sigh. "We can always go and get us a coffee and talk small talk. I mean, I'm cool with any of that."

Jonas had been quietly hanging out by the door in the hallway, grinning with pity at the poor attempt on Kirk's part. Wow, this poor guy was persistent and almost pitiful. Kirk sensed his presence there and picked up his shoe, tossing it in Jonas' direction with an angry growl. It rebounded off of the walls as Jonas ducked out of the way with a laugh.

"Kirk, I'd love to, but that data is going to take weeks for me to finish up for Chief," Rose told him, with a faint smile. "Maybe some other time."

That was something that Kirk was constantly used to by now; Rose always making up an excuse or using a situation to stay away from him. He respected it nonetheless even though he hated it. He turned to go and chuckled sadly. There was an edge to his voice that couldn't be hidden from the woman.

"Okay. Um … goodnight," he told her, with a casual wave. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. I guess."

Rose smiled and sat down at the edge of her bed. She waved back at him as he slowly shut the door. "Goodnight, Kirk."

And with that, he walked out of the room with a sad look, hiding it from her so she would not see. He could hear Jonas snickering at the corner of the hallway and scowled, chasing after the man. Jonas yelped loudly and took off, still laughing. He nearly bumped into a passing man carrying a box of fish and quickly uttered an apology.

Kirk finally caught up with him.

"You do that all the damn time!" Kirk shouted, angrily, struggling to keep Jonas' head in a wicked choke-hold maneuver.

Jonas smirked and wriggled free from him. "Well, Rose ain't into you, man!" he insisted. "You ever read that book, 'She's Just Not That into You'?" He pointed a skeptical finger at Kirk and then, pointed in the direction of Rose's room.

"Yeah, but it can't hurt to keep trying, right?" Kirk said, sadly.

"Sure it can!" Jonas sneered, playfully. "It makes you look like a sad little school boy!" He gave Kirk a goofy punch and rushed off, before the man could hit him back. Kirk gave chase with a growl. "Hey! Can't take a joke, can you?"

"Come here, you asshole!" Kirk hollered.

Meanwhile, beneath the covered sheet, the hands of Albert Wesker curled into a tight, shaking fist, joints cracking. His leg jerked slightly and his heart began to beat into his chest once more, pulsing hot, warm blood throughout his entire body. The doctor whose wounds had dripped with blood onto him had somehow given him life again; life and with it, blood lust. His dead, cold state had done great damage to his body and mind. Whatever he needed right now, he would have to heal himself through more primitive means.

Wesker's hand grasped the tarp and he yanked it swiftly off of his body. His eyes opened and with them, flickering a horrible red and his mouth parted in a long, deep gasp; air filled into his parched lungs. His burns and wounds throbbed more than anything in the world and hurt something fierce as they began to perform their regeneration duty. He could hear the sounds of two people arriving and bared his teeth with a cold snarl.

Two doctors entered the lab, walking over to Wesker, who was lying down once more, eyes shut as if he had never once moved. They were talking and laughing to one another, until one of the doctors noticed something odd about the seemingly cold corpse on the table.

"That's weird - - " he said, tilting his head to one side with a frown.

"What?" the other doctor asked.

His friend cleared his throat and leaned over Wesker with a small penlight, shining the beam onto Wesker's face and neck. There was a change in the burns and cuts. They were less severe, as if he had regenerated in the time that Rose and her friends had left.

"Maybe it's just me but ... he looks different now; his burns and cuts are less extreme than before," the first doctor told him. "some of these wounds look like they may have closed up - - " He gestured for his friend to take a look too and he did; taking out his penlight and flicking it on.

"That is weird," the second doctor said, curiously. "I've never seen that in anything before." He walked over to the light switch to get better light and the first doctor looked over at him.

Wesker suddenly sat up, as silent as air.

"We should wake up Rose and - - " the second doctor spun around and his eyes grew wide in his head. "LOOK OUT!"

The first doctor spun around at the warning, just as Wesker lunged with a hideous, wet snarling sound. His mouth latched onto the man's throat, teeth piercing the flesh and a swift jerk snapping the neck in two. The second doctor stumbled backwards, sending autopsy tools clattering to the floor as he struggled to back away from the living being before him.

Wesker rose from the table, flinging the doctor's lifeless body aside. He advanced toward the second doctor with a fierce hissing sound escaping his lips, just as the doctor opened his mouth to scream.

O

Sam was leaning back in his chair, a small television set plugged in against the console. It was playing a wrestling station and two men were fighting in the ring. Sam was stuffing Ramen noodles into his mouth with a fork and laughing a little at what he watched while it began to rain outside. It gently pelted the glass window.

"Heh, what a bunch of pansies … " he mumbled, spilling a little soup down the length of his jaw.

A shadow passed off to the side and Sam quickly looked over his shoulder. There was nothing so he went back to viewing his show. A dark shadow slowly cast over him and Sam glanced down at his hand, noticing it now and looking up.

A snarling set of blood - drenched teeth came down upon him, just as he uttered a scream. It carried across to the aft side of the ship, where Tanya had been busy reeling in some of the fishing lines. She glanced back to the bridge tower and frowned.

"Geez, Sam, what now?" she murmured, stopping what she was doing to go and check up on the man.

As she walked across the ship, a dark shadow moving between the chimneys of the engines caused her to pause in her steps. She squinted through the rain to see if she could make out who it was.

Wesker staggered across the ship's top deck, his body shuddering and his back arching in a peculiar gesture of pain. His eyes were struggling to focus on everything around him, through a red haze of pain. Snarling, he gripped his head with both hands and wailed in agony. It was a terrible sound, almost like that of a wounded, tortured beast.

Tanya reacted with horror at the sight. She glanced to the side where a fire hatchet hung inside a glass case. Slowly, she reached over and unlatched the door, carefully taking out the axe.

Wesker moved with robotic grace, a pained hiss escaping his lips. His eyes struggled to focus on Tanya's form cautiously moving against the wall. He moved toward her location, listening to the deepened, rapid breathing and the speeding heartbeat that filled his ears. As soon as Wesker turned the corner, Tanya shrieked and swung the hatchet, staggering back to view what she had done.

The hatchet was buried deep inside Wesker's shoulder and he didn't look to be in any pain by it at all, rather aggravated than anything. He stared down at the axe, chest heaving in and out and low gurgling sounds filling his throat.

Tanya stepped back a bit in revulsion as Wesker reached up to grasp the handle of the axe, yanking it from his body with a sharp murmur from his lips. He tossed the weapon aside and Tanya watched it rattle over the side of the railing and into the water below.

Wesker's lips pulled back from his teeth and he shrieked, lunging for the woman just as she screamed.

O

_Note_-More to come! I hope you continue to read and review! I am editing this chapter and probably the rest too. Seems it needs…work.


	2. Chapter 2: New Face, Old Enemy

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

By: VampireQueenAkasha

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Two: New Face, Old Enemy**

_200 Miles from Kijuju_

The precipitation had come and gone, leaving the boat shimmering with a thin layer of fresh, morning dew. There were seagulls crouched over what looked to be corpses littered all over the ship's deck. Their beaks ripped and tore little scraps of meat from bone, chattering impatiently at once another. It was a grim scene of horror and gore; an eerie silence breezing through the ship leaving nothing but the cold, uncanny scene of death. The victims had all been stabbed, sliced, and eaten somewhat and their mouths locked open in perpetual screams. It was dissonant, calm feeling and whatever or whoever had attacked them was now nowhere in sight.

Below, oddly enough, Rose was still asleep in her bed, the death cries had either never reached her or she slept like a rock. Either way, she was just waking up to shrill, blaring sound of her alarm that read 7:30 A.M. It was later than she had wanted, but everyone had worked too hard these past few days. They needed sleep and she did as well. She yawned and stretched, cracking her neck slightly as she climbed out of bed to splash water onto her face in the bathroom.

She blinked sleepily and staggered out of her room in her slippers, passing by piles of dead bodies without noticing them just yet due to her not being quite awake. She let out a massive yawn again and entered the kitchen, stepping over a dead chef and going for a coffee machine sitting on the table from across the way. It still had a good chocolate smell and seemed to wake her up just a little bit.

"Nelson, you got any fresh brew this morning?" she called, mumbling in her words. When she received no answer to that, she shrugged and took an upturned cup from the side and decided that old coffee was better than nothing at all.

She shrugged to herself and began to pour a steaming cup. She began to drift off to sleep again and snored slightly, tilting slightly to the left. She gasped sharply and woke up once more, staggering off with her fresh cup to the deck and front of the ship. She leaned on the railing and took a tentative sip.

Rose grimaced a bit and smacked her lips, but it was enough to wake her up a bit. She glanced down at the cup of coffee with a frown. It tasted bitter, yet sweet all at once. It was definitely a pot that had been sitting for a while.

"Whew, strong."

Soon everyone else would be waking up and Rose could get them started on the new data the Doppler had retrieved during the storm. Mac was trotting up to her, carrying something small and dripping in his jaws, interrupting her thoughts. Rose smiled and bent down to him, petting his furred head in one hand and listening to the animated wheezing sounds he made.

"Hey, boy, whatcha got there?" she asked, petting his face once more and taking the object from him. "Is that a rawhide or something?"

After closer examination and waking up a little more, Rose's eyes slowly began to grow wide in her head once she realized what she was holding. It was warm and slightly dampened by the rain, the texture of it smooth, yet rough. She uttered soft breathless sounds and quickly dropped the thing to the floor.

A hand.

A human hand.

Rose looked up slowly at the gore around her, feeling her entire head starting to spin with a red haze of madness and repulsion at the sight of her friends, workers, and servant's alike lying dead before her. She opened her mouth, hands going to her face and she let out a frightening scream.

The sounds of guns going off drew her attention out toward the other side of the vessel. She got up and contemplated on what she should do now. If the assailants were still on board, it was a matter of how many there were and how powerful they were. She had to evaluate the circumstances and even the score with all that she had. She wasn't about to give up her ship to potential pirates without a fight.

Rose rushed to a rack, taking a small harpoon gun and running toward the source of the sounds, determined to defend any survivors who might have been left on the ship, no matter what cost.

As she got closer to the gunshots, she could make out the sounds of Jonas yelling, Kirk shouting at something, and Beth screaming. Her friends! They were still alive. And from the sounds of things, they were putting up a fight.

O

"SHOOT HIM!"

"It's not working!"

"I don't give a shit! Keep shooting the bastard until he drops!"

Beth, Kirk, and Jonas were shooting round after round of their Handguns and forced to back up closer and closer to the railing of the ship. Wesker's body looked less and less sickly now and more and more healthy, standing there shirtless and exasperated more than anything as the bullets tore ineffectually through him. His body was speckled with blood and residue from bullets that evidently had no consequence.

Wesker clenched his hand into a tight, shaking fist and he raised it, leaning forward and arching his back, preparing to lunge. Suddenly, he blinked and glanced down in disbelief and listened to a low crunching sound fill the air. A harpoon had been wedged clear through his wrist. He held it up closer to his face and furrowed his brow, lips thinning.

Kirk's eyes grew wide. "Rose!"

She was standing there behind Wesker, rope from the harpoon's end trailing back to her firearm. Wesker slowly turned, glaring murderously back at her with a snarl.

"Oh shit … !" Rose gasped.

He squinted one eye and grabbed the line in his other hand yanking it, hard. Rose gave a loud, frenetic yell as she was tossed into him and he grabbed her throat tightly in one powerful grip. Rose kicked and struggled, prying at his fingers with her own in a poor attempt to free herself. She gagged, mouth hanging open and wriggled like a dying fish and Wesker watched this with a slow smirk forming at the edges of his lips.

"What kind of fuck are you?" she hissed, through gritted teeth.

"Let her go!" Kirk demanded, leveling his gun despite the fact that by now, it was a useless endeavor. It simply gave him a sense of control, the control that they had lost long by now.

Wesker glared at him once more before he looked back at Rose. The cold, murderous intent faded from his eyes and now, only bewilderment remained as he considered her. His voice was cultured and soft as he spoke his first words to the woman.

"Where am I?" he asked, quietly, "How did I get here?"

Rose gave an excruciating grin and hissed through her teeth. "I'd … uh … love to answer … all of … your ... questions ... and maybe you can even answer … some of mine … " she growled. "But … you're kinda fucking … choking me here … "

Wesker squinted at her unemotionally again before he opened his hand, dropping her to the floor and watching as she hacked and coughed, rubbing her tender throat with one hand.

"Yo - You're supposed to be dead, man!" Jonas shouted, pointing at Wesker with one finger. "How the fuck…What the fuck are you?"

Wesker frowned back at him, nearly affronted by the conception. "Who says I'm _supposed _to be dead?" he asked, severely, "You?" He scoffed contemptuously and looked back down at Rose. "Sources from the men that you see lying here before you in pieces, tell me that you are the captain of this vessel. So I will ask you again … how did I get here?"

Rose grimaced and scowled, gesturing one finger to the water. "We found you floating out there, all right?" she snapped, "You had no pulse and you were burnt up like a fish stick, not to mention your chest cavity was riddled with pus and other polluted contaminants. So I brought your corpse on board to run some tests. Nothing too serious."

Wesker gazed out to the ocean, brow knotted in near puzzlement. He honestly could not bring to mind how he had gotten there to begin with. He shut his eyes tightly and attempted to remember what had happened. All he could hear were screams and the sounds of explosions going off in the back of his memories. He could see two familiar faces through the broken fragments of his mind.

"Jesus, this guy is fucking nuts, Rose!" Jonas whispered. "We gotta dump him off somewhere before we end up like the rest of the guys on the ship!" Wesker turned sharply to him and Jonas flashed a wary grin, holding up two hands and taking a few careful steps back. "Uh - oh. You've got the, 'I want to beat the little fat man' look in your eyes."

"Okay, I have gladly answered your question. Now you can answer a few of mine ... Who are you? What is your name?" Rose asked, rising. "What could you have done that brought you here in such a condition?"

Wesker blinked rapidly for a few moments more. "I … am not very sure," he murmured, "It's all a bit of a haze to me … "

Wesker wasn't one to enjoy being confused and he was even less excited about the fact that he had this woman drilling him of information that he had no desire to give, however he had no idea of the situation and how to change it to his benefit, so he would have to deal with them for now.

Rose stared at him in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"No."

Rose looked at the others and they shook their heads hurriedly, reading the look in her eyes that spoke of how much more she desired to learn about her new specimen. But they could do nothing. She was the captain.

O

"OUCH! SON OF A BITCH!"

Beth rolled her eyes, glaring down at Jonas with revulsion. She was attempting to remove a blood-drenched glass shard that was wedged deep into his shoulder. The bleeding had stopped, surprisingly and she was making sure that it would not start again by applying pressure to the side of the blackish-blue wound.

"I barely touched you, fool!" she snapped.

Jonas scowled and made a brief 'I'm watching you' gesture before she returned to the blood - spattered shard embedded deep in his back. He looked over toward Wesker, who was sitting on a chrome table and having his pulse tested by Rose.

"Hey, you know, I was never really trying to shoot you, big guy! Not at all!" he stammered. "I sure hope that this little skirmish ain't gonna come between a possible friendship!"

Wesker continued to watch the wall in front of him, taking no interest in the man's words. His features registered nothing but boredom. "Well ... then, you'll have to excuse me for not melting into a puddle of gratitude." he said, annoyed.

Beth scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a pussy, Jonas." she snapped. She sighed heavily and turned to the light switch. "Dammit. I can't see anything in this light. I need the ultra violet."

As soon as the lights went on, Wesker gave a sharp cry and shielded his eyes with one arm, ducking his head low.

"Ahh!" he shouted. "The light! Turn off that damn light!"

The abrupt and powerful shout startled Beth so much, she immediately did as he said, switching the light off, and reducing it to minimal light once more. She quickly glanced over at Rose in shock, uncertain of what to make of this whole thing.

"Interesting … " Rose said, kneeling in front of Wesker and shining a small light into his orange, slit eyes. "You seem to have a hyper light sensitivity. And these red eyes … I've never seen this before, except in the Infected. Yet, you seem to exhibit no signs or symptoms ... "

Wesker watched her finger as she moved it back and forth for him to follow, his eyes dilating slightly. "I am greatly conscious of my luminosity tribulations," he said, annoyed, "Now would you care to tell me what happened before I was found by you and your team?"

Rose stared at him, irritated. How the hell did he expect her to know anything about that? "I told you, we don't know what happened to you before we found you," she told him, "I just found you like this in the water." She paused and tapped the end of the table with one fingernail. "Watch this light. Follow it."

"Humph … "

Kirk was standing by the doorway with his weapon in hand, watching Wesker like a hawk before the snake. He didn't trust him whatsoever and with every subtle move he made in his spot, Kirk would jolt somewhat, prepared to take him down by any means necessary.

"This guy don't sit right with me, Rose," Kirk snapped. "Something's up with him. I got a bad feeling…"

Wesker chuckled softly and gave Kirk a sideways glance. "I don't make it my point to care what you or anyone else think of me," he replied. "Although you may be meddlesome, perhaps I can find use for you."

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and grew quiet in disbelief, giving astonished glances to one another. He was actually giving them orders? They considered this to be too audacious and conceited on his part given the state of affairs. Beth furrowed her brow and scoffed, glancing sidelong to Rose.

"He's joking, right?" she snapped. "Who the hell are you to be giving us any orders? Rose is our captain and as long as she's here, we take no orders from some infected freak!"

Wesker looked thoughtful for a brief moment, murmuring once at that, and then he smiled. "I see," he replied, "Well, I suppose I should leave the ship. After all, _I _certainly don't want to be put into a position to be questioned by authorities regarding the dead on board this place."

Rose's eyes grew wide and needless to say, so did the others'. They knew by now that the consequences of the victims on board the ship would be put on their shoulders. They would be blamed for it all and Wesker would get out Scott free.

"And how would you get away with something like that?" Beth demanded. "You can't possibly be serious about that."

"Would you care to find out?" Wesker challenged. "You certainly know a lot about me. I have my ways of spreading a bit of Intel around."

Rose blinked guardedly and shook her head, a gesture meant to answer her own thoughts, not the question that Wesker had put out there. She knew what would happen to her friends should they be arrested as accomplices to murder. Rose couldn't have that happen to them and she would likely take the fall. But the real predicament was the alarm in the city and not the existing condition.

She held up two hands to her friends. "Guys, we can't chance something like this," she told them. "If this gets out, there could be a panic and we would be the first people to have fingers pointed at."

Wesker smiled at her, a thin oily smile. "Smart girl," he told her, chuckling. "I could use someone of your … medicinal skills to work beside me. You seem to be well skilled at what you do if you were capable of bringing me back to life."

Rose scoffed and stepped back, folding her arms across her chest and leaning on one heel, a mocking and defiant gesture. "I would rather die than help you."

Wesker sighed with annoyance and shook his head, climbing off of the table and cracking his neck both ways. "Oh, please, don't be boring. Everyone who says that dies."

Everyone watched warily as he disappeared from the room and into the hall. "Where do you think you are going?" Rose called after him.

"I'm afraid fatality has left me in a very…unpleasant condition," Wesker called back to her. "I am in dire need of a shower! I will find it myself!"

Rose rolled her eyes in exasperation and Jonas flashed a shamefaced smile at her. "Hey … he seems like a swell guy, huh?"

O

Wesker was nonchalantly walking around in the bathroom stall, stepping over a bleeding corpse that hung ineffectually over the sink. He gently pushed the body aside and peered at himself in the mirror, studying his eyes, cheeks and teeth for a brief moment before he began to disrobe the little clothing that he had on.

Every part of him ached, despite the fact that he had made full recuperation. There was still a burning sensation that wound its way up his chest and head, but it would fade in time, he hoped. He started up the water in the shower and picked up a bottle of cologne, turning it in his hands for study for a brief moment. Slowly, steam began to fill the entire bathroom; a warm and pleasant mist.

"Hm … smells like shame … " he murmured, displeased.

He climbed into the shower after finding an appropriate temperature and shuddered as the water cascaded down the length of his back and head in small rivers. It felt like paradise to him. Every stinging joint, every damaged limb seemed to collapse like butter under the heat.

In the bathroom, a small radio had been playing. Wesker tilted his head at the sound of the news, curious. Apparently, they were uncovering a corpse of a woman that had been discovered in Kijuju.

"_The mutilations were severe,_" the woman in the radio replied, "_But closer examination of her teeth reveals that she is the 25 year old Excella Gionne, head researcher of Tricell's African Division._"

Wesker suddenly grinned at the knowledge and threw his head back, letting loose a cold, deep laugh.

O

Everyone went to work cleaning up the mess on board the ship, burning the corpses in the furnace and mopping up the blood. They were filled with sorrow and pain at the loss of their friends, so working on the mess that Wesker had caused only made this worse for them. And to add fuel to the fire, Wesker was doing nothing to help them, simply standing around and going through folders and cases.

"This is awful … " Jonas mumbled, glancing up at Beth, who was straightening a bent rail along the edge of the ship.

"I know," Beth said. "It's not right at all. It's just not right. We've spent so long looking for something to stop the criminals and the viruses and we end up crossing paths with the biggest ass of them all."

Rose was just picking up a finger in her gloved hands until she realized who it once belonged to. The finger had a ring on it that looked to be a college graduation ring of some kind. It was an all - too familiar band that Rose had also received at the same college as the former owner of this finger.

"Tanya?" she gasped, stunned.

Kirk stopped what he was doing to look over at Rose. He watched her weeping softly against the railing and scowled, storming over to Wesker, who was looking over some important papers and research documents. Kirk pushed them down from his face and glared at him, his nose barely touching Wesker's.

"I hope you're fucking happy, you asshole!" he spat. "Look what you did!" He jerked a finger in Rose's direction. "You took the lives of nearly everyone on this ship, including one of her best friends!"

Wesker looked over at Rose for a moment and then, shrugged his shoulders calmly. The idea held no meaning to him whatsoever now that he had his wits about him again. He had to admit, the pain and the strange feeling of life had been unusual to him last night, but now he was perfectly healthy and back to his old way of thinking once more.

"The girl must learn to accept the burden of loss and all that comes with it," he replied, quietly. "Besides, her friend attacked me quite ferociously with a fire axe, so I was purely acting on defense."

"You tore her to pieces!" Kirk shouted.

"You'd be surprised what the human body can handle." Wesker said, chuckling softly to himself.

The joke was crude and discourteous. Kirk snarled at him. That did it. "You son of a bitch!" he shouted, drawing back his fist and punching Wesker hard in the face.

That drew a stunned gasp from Jonas, and Rose looked back in surprise. Wesker was lurching over somewhat, moving his lower jaw a little bit and blinking a few times before he righted himself.

"So, still want to fight, do you?" he hissed.

"Kirk … " Rose said, warningly.

Kirk scowled and shook his head. "You come off all big stick and walking tall, giving us orders when we have no idea what you are or what you want!" he snapped, "Well I ain't gonna stand by and take it!"

Wesker raised a mocking brow and his eyes glittered. "And here I foolishly thought that you'd learn your lesson by now," he said. "You cannot kill me. Most men have tried and only few have succeeded. Even so, I still stand and no petty little boy will do the job."

"No, but I can still bust your ass a bit!" Kirk spat.

The others watched with amazement as Wesker blocked each of Kirk's punches with his arms and legs in a flurry of expert Martial Artist's moves. This went on for several long, tense minutes and their motions caused tables to collapse and boxes to crush beneath their feet. Kirk was getting exhausted, but Wesker was still full of energy, smiling as he parried each of Kirk's moves as if they were nothing.

"Kirk cut it out!" Jonas shouted.

"Stop it!" Beth added.

Kirk lunged with his fist and Wesker grabbed his arm in one hand and elbowed Kirk's face with the other, sending the man tumbling hard to the ground. His nose began to pool with bright red blood.

"Ugh … " Kirk groaned, getting to his feet again.

He attempted to land a few more punches, but Wesker eluded easily and swept Kirk's feet with one leg, toppling him again. This time, Kirk stayed on the ground, moaning. Wesker poked him with one foot, rolling him onto his back and pinning him beneath his great foot.

"Would you care to try again?" he asked, smiling.

"No … " Kirk groaned.

Wesker nodded and his lips pulled back to reveal his teeth in a menacing grimace. "Good, because I won't give you just a warning the next time you decide to hit me again."

"Boy, aren't I lucky … ?" Kirk growled, laying there like a wounded dog.

Wesker walked passed him, scooping up the documents and approaching Rose with a cocked-head expression. He had a question regarding her status as a researcher and her history.

"You are a researcher am I correct?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Rose frowned.

"May I see your credentials?"

Rose faltered somewhat before she nodded and reached into her pocket, removing her employee ID badge. She smiled slightly, unnerved by the graciousness in his voice at a small degree. Then again, that was Wesker's way; be polite when need be and ruthless when you have to be.

"Certainly." she replied, holding the ID out to him. He didn't take it.

"Closer, please."

Rose reluctantly stepped closer to him and he took the ID from her. His eyes roved over the name, tedious information, birth date, security level, and signature. ROSE L. BEDFORD. He licked his lips thoughtfully before he spoke again; looking up at Rose and offering the ID back to her.

"That expires in one week, Rose," he said. "You should consider getting it renewed … " He glanced down at the folder in his hands and opened it. "Oh, and one more thing, I couldn't quite help but notice your father's photograph in my reading," Wesker told her, gaze locked onto the papers in his hands. "It seems that he was once quite the Umbrella Researcher in his time."

Rose scowled at him, some far - away, glittering sting crossing her eyes for a brief moment and fading just as quickly as it had come. "Why do you ask? Did you know my dad?"

Wesker shrugged his shoulders and fished through the documents with one hand. He had known the man at some point, but so many Umbrella staff members had perished, it was hard to say if he really knew the man's name. But he couldn't deny that he may have known him from somewhere. "We may have crossed paths at some point or another." he replied.

Rose continued to stare at him angrily, but she said nothing more. She began to wonder if he knew something that he was not telling her and even throwing the option of a response out, but was far too angry to care right now.

Wesker turned to the others on his heels. "When did you have plans to return to shore?" he asked.

Beth rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged. "Uh … I think we had planned it in a couple of days, why?"

"We will return first thing tomorrow."

Rose scowled and shook her head. No. Blackmail was one thing she would put up with, but there was no way they'd return early and jeopardize their assignment. Returning early would also cause suspicion at the missing people on board the ship.

"No!" she said, angrily. "We can't go home early! We still have various tests we have to perform and…"

Wesker turned to her quickly and interrupted her in mid rant. "The ship routinely makes records of defense procedures and any events that could compromise that security, am I correct?"

"Um, yes, it does." Rose blinked, suddenly realizing what he meant.

"If we stay long after these men and women have perished, then there WILL be a cause for suspicion," Wesker told her. "I am dead to the entire world. So as long as they feel safe with that knowledge, it will stay that way for the time being."

O

Wesker smiled to himself, picking up a set of sunglasses from a desk top from one of the dead men. He studied them for a few moments before he fitted them carefully onto the bridge of his nose. Ahhh, this victim certainly had good taste.

Rose watched him with a scoff, leaning against a wall with her arms folded across her chest.

"Do you honestly believe that pair of expensive shades is going to keep people from seeing your glow - in - the - dark cat eyes from hell?" she snapped.

"Yes, actually I do." Wesker replied, calmly.

Rose took a cold step toward him and he raised a brow at that. "This won't go on forever you know," she said, menacingly. "I don't care what you try to do to me, but I won't let you kill any more of my friends. If you lay another hand on any one of them, I'll make sure that whatever killed you before will definitely make a repeat performance."

Wesker smiled broadly, more amused by the intimidating gesture than unsettled by it. "Are you threatening me?" he asked. His smile faded. "Well, I'd like to see you try."

"I do not make threats," Rose warned, pointing one finger at his chest. "When it comes to my friends, I always keep a promise. You've killed one good friend of mine. You touch another … "

Wesker chuckled softly. "I only knew one person who was just like you." he told her. His smile melted and he looked mildly exasperated now, lips thinning. "And he was an unbearable pain in my side."

Rose raised a brow and cocked her head to one side. "Was he the one who killed you?"

Wesker tilted his head forward slightly, looking at her frigidly with his own eyes. Rose beamed inwardly at the impatience in his posture. So it had been true after all. She chuckled mockingly and walked away.

Wesker watched her go with an amused smile. "Clever girl … "

After that little confrontation, Rose walked up to the control room where she met up with Kirk and Beth. They were waiting for her command and they looked up as she practically stormed in.

"I hate him." she rumbled.

Kirk nodded, annoyed. "I know."

Rose inhaled sharply. "Well, set sail 27 degrees north, 81 degrees west," she told him, "The sooner we get home, the better."

She knew that somehow, once they got back to land, things were only going to get worse before they'd get any better.

O

_Note_-Hope ya' like it so far!


	3. Chapter 3: Keep it Secret

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Three: Keep it Secret**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

Rose was wide awake as soon as they entered the Atlantic City ports of New Jersey. She hurried to get dressed and could hear the news playing in the other room from a TV she had to guess was left on by Jonas. "Snake Driver" by The Jesus and Mary Chain was playing on Kirk's radio from his room down the hallway. She had never been able to figure out why the boys left their TV's and radio's on while they slept. She had to guess that it was why no one could have heard the murders that took place overhead.

"_You're watching NBC 40 with Sean Garret. And now we go the weather, with Sarah Cole. It's 8: 40 in the a.m. And already the temperature has reached a massive 74 degrees as this unprecedented heat wave continues. We have clear skies in Atlantic City and a light breeze coming in from the west. It looks like it's gonna be another beautiful day. Stay with us. After the break we're gonna look at your favorite holiday hot spots."_

Rose hurried down the halls into the kitchen and she suddenly stumbled somewhat, only to find it wrecked beyond belief. She had to lean against the doorway to keep from nearly fainting at the sight. Boxes of food were thrown everywhere, open cans discarded haphazardly, and cupboards thrown open. She blinked in shock and stepped over a discarded cereal box. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Not even her dog made this much clutter. She knew that this couldn't have been Jonas. Not even HE was this stupid enough to drive her blood pressure up the river. There was only one person who could have done something like this without even thinking about it.

"WEEEEEEESKERRRRRRRRRRR!" she shouted, hoping that it woke everyone else up. They had to see this too; this … mess.

He suddenly stepped from around the corner with a charismatic smile on his face as if he had done nothing wrong. He was holding a cup of coffee in one gloved hand. He had obviously gotten a bath after last night and was wearing a black suit. His hair was even combed back adequately. She gritted her teeth at this. He killed a man and now assumed the right to wear his clothes? That seemed completely immoral to her. He had no respect for the dead.

"What the hell happened in here?" Rose demanded. She bent over and picked up a discarded canister of butter, voice hitched higher in shock. "You ate 20 gallons of butter?" She grimaced in disgust and tossed the container aside.

"Oh yes," Wesker replied, stepping over a box. "My apologies for the untidiness. I usually don't make messes like this. I haven't eaten in quite a while. I probably should point out that you keep very few rations on this ship. I could have starved."

"That food was supposed to last for seven months!" Rose protested. "This stuff came in bulk!"

Wesker took a sip of his coffee and spoke evenly. "Well, apparently it didn't do the job, now did it?"

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose and walked to the cupboard to see if there was anything left for her to eat. She scoffed with annoyance at what she _did_ find. All that was left was a box of salt and a can of sardines. He had eaten every solitary thing on her ship except for two entirely inedible things.

"Great," she said, annoyed. "I can have salt and sardines in … " She glanced at the label. " … Wow, 'Louisiana hot sauce' for breakfast." She sighed and placed them back into the cupboard. "I need a coffee. Or did you eat the machine while you were at it?"

Wesker tittered at her, nonplussed at the sarcasm. "Of course not," he told her. "I made it fresh. You're welcome to have some if you wish." He took another swift gulp of his coffee.

Rose gave him a dirty look before she walked over to the coffee machine, staggering over discarded wrappers and boxes to get to it. Once she was carefully and adequately caffeinated, it would make this whole problem somewhat less intolerable. She stepped on a broken bottle and yelped out in agony, drawing her foot up to pluck a small piece of glass that was wedged into her foot and stained with a little blood. Wesker didn't react at all at the yelp.

"So, when are we leaving?" he asked.

Rose blinked and shot him a frown, dabbing her barefoot with a napkin to get butter residue off of it. "As soon as I get some coffee in me." she muttered. She gave the room one quick fleeting look before she rolled her eyes. "And maybe a beer."

"We will leave once you get your friends in order and not a second to spare," Wesker told her. "I don't like waiting."

Rose glared at him now, taking her cup of warm coffee. The heat was somewhat comforting to her already devastated nerves and she was not about to be pushed to get ready. "Get over it. Some of us don't move as fast as the," Her voice gushed with sarcasm and she made a very over - dramatic expression to add to it, "'Mighty Albert Wesker'."

Wesker smirked at that. My, she had a little bit of a mouth on her and she was either courageous or just plain brainless. "You know, when you amputate a man's leg he can still feel it tickle," he replied, calmly. "Tell me, Rose, when your friends are about to be cut up, where will it tickle you?"

Rose paled at that line and forced the sour taste downward from her mouth. She gave him an equally bitter look.

Jonas rushed into the kitchen, panting loudly. "Rose, I heard you shout!" he said. "What happe … " He cut himself off and blinked at the mess in disbelief. "WHOA! What happened in here?"

"Jonas, get a broom." Rose ordered.

A soft whine in response. "What?" he protested. "I didn't make this mess!"

"Just do it!" Rose told him. "I have to get ready to meet Chief down at the port. He wasn't too happy with our coming back early. He wants a full report."

"Ahhh, what are you gonna tell him?" Jonas asked, peeking into a box of crackers to see if there were any leftovers. He scowled in protest when Wesker smacked the box from his hands. "He won't be overly eager about this. Especially with the amount of data we have not analyzed yet."

"Thank you!" Rose snapped, annoyed. "I was supposed to calibrate the Doppler for yesterday, but I couldn't even find it after what happened. I know the storm couldn't have taken it off the ship."

Wesker only smiled at that and took a swift gulp of his coffee. Rose caught that look and scowled angrily, throwing her hands in the air.

"Great. THAT'S JUST GREAT!" she shouted, as she disappeared down the hallway once more.

Wesker calmly glanced down at Jonas after watching Rose storm away down the hall. "Poor dear's got a bit of a temper," he replied, smiling. "You should have a word with her about that."

Jonas chuckled shamefacedly and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, well, you know women, right?" He laughed until a can suddenly struck him in the back of the head. He quickly shut up and grinned uneasily down the hall. "It's a joke, Rose!"

O

The Chief was a small, slightly chubby man standing at the docks, dressed in a suit and all. His grey hair was combed back and he wore dark sunglasses. Also known as Craig Melbourne, most of his co-workers simply referred to him as Chief. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy, but that was all he was. No fun, no jokes, nothing. He hated absurdity and everything having to do with it.

Rose leaned to the side to whisper to Wesker. "Listen, Chief can't suspect anything, so keep quiet and stay behind me if you want anything out of this, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Wesker uttered a close - mouthed chuckle. He didn't seem deterred by the warning, but more or less, he would stay quiet for now until they'd arrive at her home and out of the sight of others.

"I'll be a good dog, master," he sneered, under his breath.

"Shut up … " Rose whispered at the corner of her mouth.

"Rose!" Chief called, "Front and center!"

Rose and her friends were stepping down the gangplank and walking up to him through the crowd of passing people. Jonas was in the middle of a conversation with Kirk and from the looks of Kirk's expression, it wasn't a very intellectual one.

"Hey, did you know that Lake Erie actually caught on fire once from all the shit and stuff that was floating around in it for years?" he said, laughing. "That would have been REAL cool to see at night, huh?"

"Hi, Chief," Rose greeted, as politely and calmly as she could. "I have all the necessary data and tests from the ocean waters, everything checks out good."

Chief looked a little discontented. "That's fine," he snapped. "But can you please explain to me, right now, why you issued an early return? That is not in your jurisdiction, Rose! I am the one who issues the return dates, not you!"

Rose chuckled, frustration in her voice that cast it higher than she wanted. "Look, there was a problem that had come up," she told him, catching Wesker's sideways glance. He had his head cast down, his arms behind his back. "We did not count on a traveling ship in the vicinity. It attacked us in the night."

Chief's eyes widened somewhat and the harshness that etched his features melted away. "Pirates attacked your ship?" he gasped. "What happened? Was anyone hurt? Anything damaged?"

Rose's sadness caught up with her and she shook her head. There was sorrow at the guilt she would be forced to suffer due to the lie that she was creating. She struggled to keep the hot swelling down in her throat. "Yes … they killed a lot of the crew working on board, and Tanya as well."

Chief looked away, gritting his teeth. He could imagine the paperwork, the phone calls, and the lawsuits he'd be forced to get into and out of as well. And he could only imagine what the corporation would say about this sort of thing. There would be rumors and accusations on the Somali Pirates, not to mention false allegations on other neighboring continents.

"God … " he breathed. He suddenly noticed Wesker at the moment and frowned. "Who the hell are you? When did you get on board the ship?"

Rose spoke before Wesker could even think to do so and ruin everything. "Don't you remember, chief?" she said. "He came with us. He's … uh … Al. He was working as one of the researchers who - " She winced as Wesker elbowed her in the back and gave him an angry fierce look in response.

Chief squinted at this. Rose could count on the fact that he had a poor memory that was getting on with age. He seemed as if he could not recall enlisting Wesker or ever having doing it. But then again, even he was aware of his fading memory.

"Huh. Well, Rose, I want you all to head home," he told them. "We will take care of this later." He turned to go and then, looked back at them and pointed a finger just as he climbed into his car. "I want that data on my desk by tomorrow night!"

"Yes, sir." Rose replied, nodding.

Mac came rushing down the gangplank, barking quickly and walking up to Rose's side. She petted his head once and blinked in disbelief, voice caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she had just done. Not a single bit of it. What had possessed her to do such a thing and go through with this?

Wesker seemed to delight in her mental torment. He put his arms behind his back and leaned forward to her, voice simply swimming with pleasure and near mockery. "You know, I am quite proud of your performance." he said.

Rose spun around swiftly, glaring up at him. "You know something, Wesker, I don't give a damn if you're proud of me or not!" she shouted. "You made me lie to my boss about all of my friends that you've killed! I hate you! Leave me alone and don't fucking talk to me ever again!"

He raised his brows with a chortle as he watched all of them amble to the parking lot to a large blue van. It was a dirty vehicle with a few logos etched on the sides and doors. They were logos of a corporation that he couldn't really tell at his position. He touched his mouth with one finger, delighted by her temper, almost. This would be more fun than he thought it would.

_I ... Don't wanna know your name  
But I ... Do want your private number baby _

_All I know is that to me  
You look like you're lots of fun  
Open up your lovin' arms  
I want some, want some _

_I set my sights on you (And no one else will do)  
And I, I, I, I ... got to have my way now baby _

_All I know is that to me  
You look like you're lots of fun  
Open up your loving arms  
Watch out here I come _

_You spin me right round, baby right round  
Like a record, baby right round round round  
You spin me right round, baby right round  
Like a record, baby right round round round_

The drive had taken a good 30 minutes out of the city and it was silent in the back until Jonas had started up a conversation to ease the awkwardness of the silence. Rose drove home to a large Victorian house in the country. The city lights were just barely visible over several acres of trees.

"Okay, okay," Jonas was talking in the back. "Shania Twain or Orlando Bloom?"

Beth grimace in disgust and shook her head, gesturing with a flick of her wrist to her friend. "Aww!" she muttered. "I am not answering that and neither is Rose!"

Rose slightly smiled.

Kirk scoffed at the crude humor displayed in his comrade and sighed, leaning back against the wall of the van, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Uh … I guess Shania … " he replied. "I mean, Orlando Bloom is feminine enough, but I still wouldn't."

Rose couldn't resist a snicker at that. The sounds of their conversations droned down as she focused on the rear view mirror. Her gut felt a stretched pinch and she couldn't help but be bothered by the idea that police officers would come over that hill at any given time.

Rose's home was a Victorian Queen Anne; its roof was steep with a complicated, asymmetrical shape, a front-facing gable, a one-story porch that extended across two sides of the house, two round towers, the wall surfaces textured with decorative shingles and bay windows. It was quite a fancy home and resembled a mansion more than an actual house.

She and her friends accompanied her inside. It was quite a common thing. Rose enjoyed having them over often times that it didn't even matter that they slept over when they would have parties or just feel like spending the night. She would get lonely sometimes in this big house, even with her dog at her side, but she was never one to admit it even to them. She had a bit of harmless pride about her.

The foyer was made entirely of solid wood oak; the walls were covered with paintings, candle-sticks, and even several framed maps of the United States. Every bit of wall, floor, and ceiling seemed ancient, as if the house itself had stood tall years before Rose had ever lived in it. It was a symbol of history and age, various items of antiquity and intrigue lining the walls and shelves.

Rose still kept many things that her father had left behind. It was just a small way for her to remember him by. In fact, many of the objects were lines with dust because she had never had the time to really dust any of them. A lot of the object were also nothing of any interest to her, but she couldn't bear to part with them.

"I can never get over why you still keep this old stuff hanging around, Rose," Jonas suddenly said, not noticing that she wasn't paying much attention. "No wonder you get depressed." He winced as Beth punched him in the shoulder. "WHAT?"

"Don't be such an asshole." she snapped.

"I'm just trying to help!"

Rose wasn't really listening to the argument. She was studying a crystal egg and ran a fingertip lightly over it; an absentminded gesture.

In a job like this, Rose made quite a good bit of money. She was quite wealthy, but money made little difference to her. It was just a bonus. She loved being a researcher more than anything else in the entire world. The house itself had once belonged to her father and she had inherited it from him after he died. As for her mother, she had never met her.

"Rose, are you sure that was smart what you said to that guy?" Jonas said, cautiously. He fidgeted with his fingers and raised a single brow. "I mean, I like guys … but I don't _like _guys, you know, especially any guy ass play."

Rose scoffed and shook her head at the words. She sat down in a large red loveseat and rubbed her forehead. Personally, she didn't care if she went to jail. This was wrong. All wrong. There was nothing more she could do to fix the situation now, though. The deed was done.

Beth smiled at her comfortingly and patted her shoulder. "Hey, should I break out the wine?" she suggested.

Rose smiled up at her and nodded once. A good solid drink she felt she would definitely need right about now. Today had just felt more like a nightmare that she just wanted to end. She rose and walked for the kitchen to get something to eat.

"I'm going to go make some snacks, do you guys want anything?" she called over her shoulder.

"Nachos!" Jonas hollered, from the other room.

"Coffee is fine!" Kirk added.

Jonas rushed into the living room to a Wii system beside a large plasma screen TV situated in the center of the room. Kirk rolled his eyes at this and sat down to watch him, knowing he would have to get comfortable. No matter how many times they came over here, Jonas loved to play with that silly video game system. He was just like a child, playing with toys.

Just as Beth turned to the wine cabinet, the front door flew open and something rushed in so fast, she merely acknowledged it as a massive wind and jerked back in astonishment. She looked around wildly for the source and gazed out into the night.

"What the hell?" she cried.

Kirk and Jonas had not noticed a thing during their game time and it passed over their heads. Jonas had gotten into playing Wii baseball and Kirk was going through several ID cards scattered across the coffee table with a scoff.

"Jonas, you are not going to get into the C . I . A . , so stop trying," he snapped. "You're a physicist, but that is not enough to qualify you to get in."

Jonas laughed, keeping his gaze on screen and swinging his arms back, miming the swing of a baseball bat. "Why?" he said. "Something wrong with the photo?" He laughed and raised the controller with a grin. "Yeah! Home Run!"

Kirk shook his head. "All right, you look like a future pedophile in this picture, that's the first problem with it," he snapped. "And why the hell did you put down a fake birthday, anyway?"

"So they don't track me down when I find government conspiracy stuff, okay?" Jonas told him.

"They can still track you down, idiot!"

"How do you know?"

Kirk scoffed at that and tossed the ID into Jonas' side. He cocked his head and frowned toward the open door, now taking notice to it. Furrowing his brow, he straightened up in his spot and tried to put one and two together.

O

Rose was going through the refrigerator and taking out a plastic container full of homemade salsa. She exhaled with a pleased smile and popped the container open, taking a whiff of the dip. Some chips and wine sounded good about now; they were her favorite snack and her friends also enjoyed it.

"Ahh, yummy," she said to herself.

She didn't see Wesker standing behind her with a smirk on his face, waiting for her to notice him there. He just watched her movements as she darted back and forth in front of him while gathering her needed fare.

"Alright, maybe I should add a little spice," she said, to herself, not realizing that she had an audience. "Jonas likes his spice, and I can handle it pretty good." She sighed. "But Beth isn't too fond of spice. Maybe I should just go with mild."

"Why not make two instead?" Wesker suddenly said.

Rose smiled, not registering who she was talking to at that single second. "Yeah, why not … " She cut herself off and spun around, crying out loudly when she saw him, stumbling a few times against the counter top and sending a few wooden spoons flying to the floor.

Wesker blinked slightly at the sounds and stared down at her as she finally managed to find her footing and straighten up in front of him.

"How the hell did you get in my house?" she cried, staring at him in horror and rage, her fingers clutching the counter top tightly. The pads of her thumbs began to hurt, but she ignored it.

Wesker pointed at his own nose with a contemptuous grin. "You left quite a trail that wasn't too hard for me to track," he told her. "I could smell a hint of sweat, anger and shame for miles."

Rose continued to stare angrily at him, steadying herself against the kitchen counter and finally managing to pry her fingers from their cement grip on the edge. "Making fun of someone is no way to get any kind of cooperation out of anybody, Wesker."

"I was not making fun," he told her. "I could smell all of these things as if you were wearing them like a perfume. So I simply tracked you down to this … " He glanced around the kitchen with a pleased sound. "lovely home of yours."

"So what do you want, then?"

Wesker took a small step forward and stared at her skeptically. Had she really forgotten already? Well, he wasn't going to let her forget so easily. "We had an agreement," he told her. "And I thought I made that quite clear with you. I will make sure you keep up to your end of the deal, no matter what the cost."

"Fine." Rose snapped, chest slightly heaving. "Do what the hell you want; I can see I can't say anything to change your mind."

"Your powers of observation serve you quite well, then."

_I have to play this cool. If word gets out that he's still alive, there'll be a panic all over. I can't let that happen. I guess I can play good girl for now. Hell, what other shit could I get into worse than this, anyway?_

Beth walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Rose, should I take the boxes down to the lab later on for…" she began, but cut herself off as soon as she saw Wesker and her eyes widened in her head. She looked about ready to lunge at Wesker at any second. " … What the hell's he doing here?"

"He followed us," Rose told her. "But don't worry. He hasn't told anyone yet, so there's not going to be any problems. We're going to keep our deal and keep this secret for now."

Beth scoffed quietly, not at all too pleased with this and the lack of a strong voice in her best friend. "Great, that's great." she snapped. Her gaze softened a slight degree and she chuckled now. "Whatever you want, Rose, I'll do for you."

It wasn't going to be an easy time with this man, Beth could already tell. Rose was tense and she was concerned that her friend might get into trouble. She had made it her point to protect her whenever she could, but she also had to accept the fact that Rose was a grown woman and had to make her own choices. Beth didn't like this, but at least things would stay quiet … for now.

Beth turned to Wesker coldly now, a threatening look in those bluish eyes. "And if you try anything to her ... anything at all, my foot is going to go far up your ass, all the way to the goddamn knee until you puke up leather, got me?"

"Perfectly." Wesker said, chuckling softly.

O

Rose gave everyone a swift "goodbye" as they went home to go to bed. Wesker was standing in the living room and watching her and Kirk as she bid farewell to him. He smiled inwardly. He could tell by the gestures and the body language that Kirk was in fact, fascinated with her in a way that insisted more than just a simple friendship. It was amusing to see the poor little love struck boy having his advances constantly denied. He didn't know when to give up. Ahhh, it was such a joke.

"Be careful, Rose," Beth told her, smiling and keeping her gaze locked onto the man standing there. "Keep yourself on high alert for me and I'll be here in no time in case he decides to pull a move on you."

"I'd rather not know that … " Jonas muttered, from outside in a brief sing song voice.

Rose inhaled sharply and nodded. Not entirely something she wanted to think about right now, but she wasn't too worried. Wesker seemed to be too proper for _that _sort of thing anyway. "Don't worry." And with that, she shut the door and turned to Wesker. "I can't believe I'm letting you stay here. You're just really lucky that I'm not all that bad of a person."

"I should could my blessings." Wesker remarked.

Rose scoffed with irritation. She wasn't in the mood for any jokes right now and she was usually a very humorous person in any situation to try and keep herself calm when things got rough. But for now, she would at least be a decent host above all other things and get to bed afterwards.

"Well, if you're going to stay here in my house, then at least let me show you to your room ... while I'm in a good mood," she told him, "Come on … "

Wesker followed her upstairs, down the hall into another bedroom. It looked to have been left empty for some time. There was a thin layer of dust, very thin, covering the desks and walls and the bed seemed to have been untouched. He ran his gloved fingers over the desk and studied the dust on his tips.

"Hm, I can see that you haven't come in here for some time," he said. "It's so … dusty. What a shame."

"It used to be my dad's room," Rose replied, shifting from heel to toe. "I just never got to cleaning it, being busy with work and all. I haven't been in here for a while. I don't like it in here quite as much." She exhaled and there was a small pang of sadness there. "Too many memories…"

Wesker had been pacing around the room, studying every bit of decor, layer of dust, and picture frame that lay bare before him. It had a nice, comfortable touch to it; a style that he found he particularly liked. If he would be staying here to do his researches, he wanted to at least be comfortable anyway.

After a moment of study, he turned back to her and smiled.

"Thank you," he told her. "It seems that it will accommodate me nicely."

Rose gave him a cold glare from the tops of her eyes and her voice was venomous if not resigned. "Believe me, you don't deserve even that," she told him. "But it's what my dad would have done, so let's just let it be."

She shut the door behind her without even giving him a second chance to retaliate with any snippy comments, letting Wesker to his own thoughts. He sat down onto the bed and glanced over toward the desk. Curious now, he walked over, brushed some books aside and discovered a folder lying beneath them all. She wouldn't mind if he…observed his surroundings. After all, what was she doing with the stuff anyway?

"Hm, let's see what kind of man your father was, Miss. Bedford … " he said, to himself.

He opened the folder and began to read and go through all of its contents. It took him a while to get through every little book, folder and diary. Afterwards, he was getting slightly bored with the utter stillness through the house and decided to go through a mountain of old CD's that were stacked neatly against the wall on the desk.

Rose was in her room, attempting sleep as soon as music filled the air; she shoved a pillow over her head, moaning in aggravation and whining angrily. It was symphony, her father's favorite type of musical class. Even though it was soothing and gentle, she still struggled to get to sleep.

With a frustrated sound, she rose from her bed and beat on the wall angrily with one fist. "WESKER!" she shouted.

Over the music, Wesker could make out the shout and he smirked to himself, sitting cross - legged in the desk chair. She was a new pawn and like all new pawns, they would be fun to play with.

O

_Note_- The song here is Dope's cover of "You Spin Me Right Round". All this and more coming very soon.


	4. Chapter 4: Living With Him

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Four: Living With Him**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

Rose had set her alarm clock for 5:00 A.M. She hadn't really gotten any good sleep last night, worried about just what kind of chaos she'd get into the next day. She did sleep for a few good hours and even so, had the strangest dream she had ever had in a long time. Not your "You know it's a dream" dream and you understand the illogical points about it. It felt … real. It was almost so real, like she had never even gone to bed. Rose wanted to forget about it as well because this particularly KIND of dream was a little … weird as well.

Wesker must have still been asleep taken the lack of noise below, but she decided to check on him, just in case she was wrong and had to wake up to a horrible mess in her kitchen. She cautiously opened the door to his room and peered inside. He was sound asleep and stretched out across the bed like a contented lion, his chest heaving in and out peacefully with his soft, inhale and exhalations. His fingers twitched only once and his nostrils fluttered gently. The CD player on the desk was still on, but the disk had all but stopped by now.

He looked relaxed as well, his facial features smooth and absent of their usual dour expression. Rose had to admit that when he wasn't tense, sarcastic and irritating, he was rather pleasant…when he was sleeping and looked almost peaceful. She had to guess that he had been reading almost all night and maybe had recently gotten back to sleep. Although he wasn't one to sleep, as he had boasted on the way to shore, surely something like him slept every once in a while.

It was good, too, because Rose would have plenty of time for peace and quiet until he woke up. God knew that she needed a little quiet time after what had happened yesterday. If only for a short time, Rose would still enjoy it.

Rose smiled slightly and shut the door as quietly as she could, walking down the stairs to find Mac situated at the bottom and awaiting his master for his morning feeding. He wagged his tail and panted excitedly as soon as he spotted her, the promise of food fresh in his canine mind.

"Good morning, Mac!" she greeted. "Are you hungry?" A bark answered her and she gently ushered her pet into the kitchen to get his dog bowl filled. "Alright! Come on! Mama's got food for ya'!"

After quickly getting dressed and preparing for her day at work, she started on making breakfast. A commonsensical person would believe that even though this was her day off, she had no need to rush. But Rose was a well - organized and quick woman. The data would need to be completed and set on Chief's desk this morning, even though he said late tonight. She wanted to have some of the day to relax; at least considering how hectic she had been all week.

"Coffee … " she mumbled, to herself. "Gotta have my coffee before I start knocking heads together."

After coffee was started, Rose began to cut up the bacon and Mac waited eagerly at her feet, licking his lips and sitting down in anticipation. She laughed and took a piece of bacon, holding it up teasingly to her pet's nose. His wide, brown eyes followed the luxury readily.

"Go get it!" she said, tossing it into the living room.

Mac eagerly gave chase for the treat. After a long moment, Rose could hear Mac yelping excitedly as if he had caught something other than the bacon that she had tossed to him. She smiled to herself, recognizing the sound all too well from his puppy days. He must have found his tennis ball and wanted to play with her. As much as she wanted to just sit down and not worry herself over work, she had to finish.

"Mac, I gotta get ready for work!" Rose called. "I can't go looking for your ball right now, boy!"

Then, as soon as she finished her sentence, she looked over her shoulder and blinked to some extent. She spotted Wesker at the foot of the steps, petting Mac with two hands. Mac seemed to like the petting because he went still in Wesker's gloved hands. She frowned at that, not too sure that she pegged Wesker to be an animal lover ... or really, a lover of any thing.

When he walked into the kitchen, she raised a brow, somewhat impressed, despite that the idea came off as a little unusual to her. "That's odd. Mac really seems to like you," she replied. "He doesn't take to strangers so quick."

"Sometimes animals can be much more intelligent than any human being," Wesker said, almost sarcastically despite the coolness to his tone. He just always sounded sarcastic, even when he wasn't trying to be. "I suppose we can all learn something from that, now can we?"

Rose shut her eyes and gave an aggravated groan, not ready for his sarcasm this early in the morning. "Don't start with me today, Wesker," she snapped, pushing his chest with one hand to get around him. "I have to get to work and drop of that data before Chief gets there and he decides he needs me to stay the rest of the only day I have off." She looked up at the wall clock and her eyes widened frantically. "JUMPING JESUS CHRIST! It's already 7:30!"

"You need to learn to try and calm down," Wesker told her, sitting down at the table, picking up the newspaper to view today's headlines. "All that unhealthy stress causes grey hairs and an unbalanced appetite."

Rose glared at him and pressed both hands onto the table, leaning in and speaking with a menacing edge to her voice. "Look, Wesker," she said, angrily. "I have never been late for work a day in my life, not even on days I'm off!"

"Oh, would you like a round of applause for your perfect attendance?" he taunted, giving her a rather mocking grin, he even clapped somewhat and chuckled to himself. "Well, congratulations … "

Rose looked a little stunned by the joke, but then she remembered that she was angry with him and resumed her incensed position.

"Fuck you," she snapped. "I have to get that data finished before … "

"No need; it's already done." Wesker held out the folder containing all of her data without looking up from the newspaper.

Rose stared at him in disbelief and took the folder after a long pause in her reaction. She opened it and paged through the papers and documents, looking over each graph, data chart and paragraphs. It was done, all of it. He had done her research for her? Now she had seen everything.

"You did my work for me?" she exclaimed, surprised. Then, she narrowed her eyes after considering this and put the folder down, staring at him apprehensively. What reason would he have to help her? It was just too strange. "Why?"

"Because I want to get down to business as soon as possible," Wesker told her. "We need to begin our … "

Rose gave him a sour look. "No, _we _don't need to do anything!" she snapped. "_I_ need to get to work before _I _get shit on for it." She turned angrily to her frying pan which was starting to smoke and cursed angrily. "Great, now breakfast is burned!"

Wesker watched her for a few moments and then he knotted his brow and shook his head with pity and a little disgust. "Don't sulk, Rose," he told her. "Sit and have some cereal. We'll be off to work shortly."

Rose immediately hushed up for two seconds, slamming the frying pan into the sink and turning to face him, stunned. No way. There was no way in hell he was going to go to her office with her. What did he think that she'd do, cater to him and his every demand? He wasn't going to just walk around her building like he owned it.

"'We'll be off to work'?" she repeated, in disbelief. "Now, by _we_, I assume you're talking about me and only me, right?"

Wesker shrugged his shoulders and stared at her skeptically behind his glasses. "You don't honesty expect me to stay here by myself, do you?" he said. "After all, I need to observe your associates. I want to see what kinds of possibilities linger inside your corporation."

"Possibilities?"

"Of course," Wesker continued. "A corporation specializing in the study of viral agents and previous Outbreak incidents might prove to be quite useful to me in the near future." He watched her reaction and then resumed studying the paper. "So case in point, I will not stay here."

Rose reacted in shock and nearly lost her breath. He was planning on another outbreak, she was sure of it now. She had only heard rumors about what he had done in Africa, but most of them seemed to have been validated in such a simple response that it was enough for her to back away slowly from him.

"You want to do it all over again!" she gasped, gripping the counter top for support. "You want to kill more people, don't you?"

Wesker raised a brow at her and a thin, cruel smile touched his lips. "Oh, you make killing sound so permanent," he said. "No. My plans ended in failure time and time again, and I understand why. I will continue with a new plan in secret without subjecting myself to any arrogance and self-righteousness. All of it will remain silent to the rest of the world."

He watched her shift from toe to heel warily and hurriedly decided on another tactic; a tactic that he was sure would work with someone like her. After witnessing her compatibility to help others and her desire to serve, he found that it would be easy to toy with her on a more ... personal level.

"I am planning on something that will help the world, Rose," he told her, his tone softening. "Think of it as something that can stop all of this senseless war, destruction of our resources, and fighting in the streets. I want to save this planet and I want to go about it in a more … passive way. That is my plan."

Rose squinted at him disbelievingly. That sounded like he had too much of a God complex to her. "And who the hell are you to make that kind of decision for the entire human race?" she demanded. "Who the hell died and made you God?"

Wesker gave her a sharp, sour look, like he had tasted something awful and shook his head at the accusation. "If I do not do something to put an end to it all, then who will, Rose?" he countered, sneering in his words. "Your president? The U . N . ?" He tittered when she nodded once. "Oh please … There's no money in peace, don't you understand? It will never end unless I do something to end it."

Rose faltered somewhat. Why did a small portion of what he was saying feel true and pragmatic to her? Why did she feel like it couldn't end unless someone was willing to end all of it? No. There had to be some kind of reasoning and logic in the world otherwise it would be chaos. Wesker didn't seem to have any logic at all, save for his own personal gain.

Rose fingered through the cabinets and freezer to get something quick to go and she searched the cold storage, going through a box of preheat able cheese Danishes. After a moment's pause, she placed her hand down and glared back at him.

"Wesker … " she began, a building, seething edge to her tone. "Did you have a midnight snack by any chance?"

"Yes."

Rose took out the box and waved it in his unflinching face. "AND DID YOU PUT THE BOX BACK WITH ONLY ONE LEFT?"

"I didn't see it necessary to bother you. Those with unhealthy stress are to sleep when they can so they may be prepared for the hard work that is soon to follow," he said, calmly, with a mocking edge to it.

Rose grinned angrily and beat the cabinet with the box. "Wesker, I can handle the quips, the biting sarcasm within reasoning … and maybe even the overzealous God complex when I'm drunk enough ... " she began, leaning close to him. "But I am not equipped to deal with this BULLSHIT RIGHT NOW!"

He stared up at her and chuckled. Her temper constantly amused him to no conceivable end.

"So? Are we going to go to your place of employment, or not?" Wesker asked, with a dull smile that pricked the corners of his mouth.

"No. And I don't care what you say, we're not going!"

He raised a challenged brow at her.

O

Humorously enough, Rose was sitting in the driver's seat, lips pursed with irritation, Wesker in the passenger's seat with a triumphant smile touching his features. Rose watched the road, mumbling angrily in her words. She couldn't believe this, not one little bit.

"This isn't happening … " she muttered. "Not today … Not now … " She took a bite out of her cheese Danish and mumbled angrily through a mouthful of crumbs and cheese. "I hope those guys are having more fun than I am because I'm really NOT HAVING IT … "

"What's this?"

The soft, curious tone caused her to glance down at the side, noticing that he had moved from his spot in the seat and was going through a few boxes in the back of the van. She glared back at him.

"Hey. HEY!" she protested, "Keep your hands out of that stuff! That's my … " She sighed and gave up on the whole idea of arguing with him. "Oh forget it; you're just going to help yourself to it anyway."

"All the more reason that this is a pointless argument." Wesker said, sneering. He paused for a moment before speaking again. "After you take the data to your office, I want to go and get some more food, if…that is alright with you."

"Fine. We'll hit a local Denny's."

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that," Wesker replied, chuckling softly and leaning back with his feet propped up into the seat. "I knew you'd resort to feeding me something foul and oily." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth to display his disdain.

"Hey, don't even give me that kind of talk after what you stuffed your face with on the ship," Rose argued. "And If you're going to come with me, I don't want you to talk to anyone. It'll give you away and, God, I don't want to be shot at the second I try to get to my van."

"Oh? Will I be rewarded like your pet, if I obey?" Wesker mocked.

Rose looked back at him after a long moment and scowled, considering his joke. "Oh, ha - ha, that's fucking hysterical, I know what you meant!" she snapped. "And don't think for one second you are going to go snooping around either!"

Wesker chuckled with amusement and feigned disappointment, snapping his fingers. "Oh damn. I was hoping you wouldn't catch on to that," he said, grinning. "I could've had a lot of fun with that one."

Rose rolled her eyes and then returned her focus on the task at hand. She could see the large Atlantic City BIO-RESEARCH DEPARTMENT sign just up ahead. She would hurry into the building, get the data to Chief's desk and get out quick before anyone really got a good look at Wesker. After all, today was going to a quick-in-and-out task. What could possibly go wrong in such a short time?

In the back of her mind, though, a small voice told her that she would regret those thoughts.

"Rose, perhaps you should consider a tic - tac," Wesker told her, as they pulled into the lot. "Offensive breath is not a way to get approval out of anyone."

"Shut up."

As soon as she found a parking spot, she got out of her side of the van with the folder and quickly rushed to the massive glass building towering over her.

"I don't think that we're going to get into any kind of trouble if we keep a low profile," Rose told him. "I think if we just stay calm and keep our big mouths shut," She glared at him as she said that, "We'll be just fine and nothing bad will have to happen."

"You should never say that, Rose," Wesker told her, smiling. "Things ALWAYS go wrong when you say that, you know."

Rose gave him a sarcastic bark of laughter before she moved to the building. Wesker followed behind her, watching every movement of various doctors that were pacing around the outside of the building, studying their movements and reading their lips to find out what he could learn to use against them in case he needed … extra hands.

"Alright, we get in and out," Rose whispered, cradling the folder in her underarm. "Oh! And before I forget, watch out for … "

Suddenly, a man was rushing up to the two, disheveled entirely and his white coat was out of place. His tie was covered in coffee stains and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. He reminded Wesker of his old comrade, William Birkin in some odd way.

"Hey, Rosy!" he greeted, almost flirtatiously.

_Christ, I HATE BEING CALLED ROSY!_ she thought, angrily.

"I'm busy right now." she told him, a little put off by his presence. "I have to … uh … do some stuff, some important stuff ... not here."

He was the kind of guy who'd flirt with her constantly. She didn't see why. It wasn't like she was that good looking to begin with.

Rose didn't focus entirely on appearances. She found work to be far too important to her to allow for any sort of pleasures such as dates and perfume. She wore makeup sometimes for her work related conferences and meetings, but not all the time and only when it was real important.

"We need you to … " the man began.

Rose suddenly turned with a sarcastic smile, standing at the locked door and preparing to enter her employee password. "Actually, as you can see, I'm not busy whatsoever. It's just a small little euphemism for '_get the hell out of my face_'."

Wesker already didn't like this man and his mannerisms around the woman. He was going to be a problem already, he could tell. He smiled politely, however and held out a courteous hand.

"Pardon me, what is your name?" he asked.

The man seemed taken aback by the question, partially because he hadn't noticed Wesker standing there until just at that moment when he spoke up, almost intimidated by the larger man clad in black and glasses. But instead of showing it, he instead held out his hand to shake Wesker's with a broad grin on his face.

"You can call me Mr. Head if you wanna, seeing since I'm almost gonna reach Vice Presidency real soon!" he told him.

Wesker made a subtle mocking sound and ignored the hand gesture. "Oh! Sounds delightful, Mr. Head," he said, sneering in his words. "Although, might I have your first name, Mr. Head, and please ... do not tell me that it's Dick."

Now the man looked annoyed. "It's Frank."

Wesker raised a brow and pretended to be interested. "Ah, Fran." he murmured. He turned to Rose with a mocking, skeptical grimace, ignoring Frank's stunned expression that he was wearing. "Isn't that normally a girl's name?"

"Yeah … " Rose mumbled, sheepishly.

"I thought so." Wesker replied, chuckling.

Rose gave Frank another irritated look, suppressing a laugh. She didn't want to condone Wesker's sense of humor in such a situation. "Alright, as you can see, I have to get this data on Chief's desk pronto," she told him. "It's the only damn day I get off and I don't want to spend it at the office!" She rushed into the building with Wesker following.

"Uh … I guess I'll catch you later, then?" Frank called after her.

Rose ignored the call and quickly crept up the stairs. Wesker was glaring back after the man and Frank immediately hurried off, intimidated by the look.

"That was really wrong, Wesker," Rose whispered, as they passed rows of desks and various doors. "Funny, but wrong."

"Never mind that," Wesker replied. "Let's just do what we came here to do and get out. I am getting a little hungry."

"Lovely, just don't eat the chairs while you're at it." Rose muttered, under her breath, in a mockingly horrified tone.

"Very mature of you, Rose ... "

Rose smiled and spotted Chief's office up ahead. She quickly rushed into the office and placed the folder onto his desk. Just as she turned, Wesker was gone. Her eyes widened in her head and she swallowed a gasp. She felt her stomach drop into her feet and her heart slowly beating a few notches quicker in her chest. She looked around.

"Wesker?" she whispered, "Wesker!"

_Oh no! _she thought, horrified.

Wesker was loose and running around in this building somewhere. Even though most of the people here had never actually seen what Wesker looked like in the time of his crimes, she still couldn't chance it at this point. Now she had to go and look for him! This day was just getting better and better by the second.

"Damn it!" Rose snarled, rushing out of the office.

O

Rose darted down every hall and every floor to look for him, calling out his name in hushed, frantic whispers. She even dared to ask a few of the peons who had no idea what was going on half the time if they had seen him anywhere. Most of them would just shake their heads and go on about their meaningless jobs. It was terrible. He could have been anywhere in the building right now doing who knew what.

"I don't give a damn if he is invincible or not … I'll kill him!" she whispered, under her breath.

"Hi, Rose!" came a call from an employee behind a computer wall.

She sheepishly waved in his direction with a nervous giggle, murmuring a 'hello' in a quiet, uneven tone. It was getting risky. People were calling for her and it was only a matter of time before - -

Finally, Rose bumped into a mail - room attendant and breathlessly shook his shoulder, not even giving him a chance to protest or even speak a word.

"Hey! Have you seen a guy go by?" she asked, making gestures to her own face for effect. "He's wearing dark sunglasses and a black suit; kinda looks like one of the Men in Black. You can't miss him. I gotta find him fast! Now!"

The boy looked thoughtful for a second before he smiled and nodded in realization. "Oh yeah! I saw him go down to the files in the basement!" he told her, pointing beyond them, "I figured he was new and told him where to go. Poor guy. I know how the superiors like to pick on the newbie's."

Rose took a moment to let that simmer and finally, she squinted one eye suspiciously and tightened her lips, storming to the stairs that would take her down to the basement, muttering furious curses to herself.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I swear to God … " she mumbled, under her breath once more.

The trip down to the underground store seemed to take forever.

The basement was full of shelves and boxes of private documents of every individual in the entire building. They had all been transferred to the computer database after the documents became obsolete. But they were still off limits to most that worked there. Sure enough, Rose spotted Wesker with a box open, looking through a folder with a soft, pleased rumble in the back of his throat.

"Wesker!" she whispered, fiercely. "I thought we agreed that you weren't gonna take off on me like that! Do you know what kind of trouble I can get into if… ?" She trailed off and her eyes grew wide. "IS THAT MY PRIVATE DOCUMENTS?"

"Yes, they are," he told her, giving her a quick glance over his shoulder. "And I must say, I am surprised at what I see here ... Hmmm ... very strange … " He furrowed his brow almost as if he himself couldn't believe the words on the papers. "It seems like quite a lot has been kept from you all this time. You should really take the time to read this."

Now Rose couldn't resist her curiosity, even against her own conscience. It was almost a crime of hers; curiosity would get her killed one of these days, people would tell her. She frowned and walked over to him, giving Wesker an irritated look, still annoyed about the fact that he had run off when she had told him not to do so.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, exasperated. She took the folder from him, crumbling some of the papers with the force of her snatching. "Let me see that."

Wesker raised a brow, watching an odd look cross her features. His head jerked upwards at the sound of a door opening and Rose stifled a soft cry that had nearly escaped her trembling lips.

"Shit!" she gasped. "Wesker, we gotta go or you're gonna have to do your talking with me behind a plated window! Get the lead out!"

He nodded and gestured to the box of her files before she could take off for the elevator. "What do you wish to do with this, Rose?" he asked, raising an inquiring brow.

He watched her struggle inwardly for several seconds before she nodded once. He took that silent gesture as a means that she wanted the files to come with her. He took the box in one hand and they rushed to an elevator located further across the room. They entered it, just as Chief came walking down the stairs.

He noticed the missing box and tightened his lips, able to take an easy guess at where it had gone and who had been down here.

"Rose … "

Wesker and Rose were running to the van with the box of documents. Wesker jumped with grace into the van as soon as the sliding door was opened and Rose quickly jumped into the driver's seat. She frantically started the engine and drove off, crying out in terror and disbelief at her own stunt.

"I can't believe what we just did!" she cried, breathless, "I can't believe that I just stole something from my own place of employment!"

Wesker grinned at her. "Welcome to the world, Rose."

"Would you just shut it!" she shouted, as she pulled out of the parking lot, desperation and terror in her eyes.

Chief was watching the van depart from his office, a scowl lighting his features.

"So…you have a little spirit in you after all, don't you, Rose?" he said, softly, "Well … that's going to cost you."

O

_Note_-A scene from Anger Management that I thought looked so funny in my head; hopefully you'll find it funny.


	5. Chapter 5: The Oddity

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

Disclaimer: For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Five: The Oddity**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

"It can't be…"

Rose was reading through a paper concerning her house while sitting in a booth at the local Denny's. Apparently, according to the manuscript, there was another floor, just below the basement. According to the papers in front of her, it was a secret collection of chambers that were used for testing and research. But she had never seen it before in her entire life. So why had she never known about it. And more importantly, if Chief had known, why did he keep it from her?

Wesker shook his head, surrounded by several plates of food situated around his area of the table. He began to swirl his stirring spoon through his cup of coffee and took a quick drink.

"If would make perfect sense for a former Umbrella researcher to have his own secret lab situated beneath his living quarters," he explained. "Especially if you consider the time and lack of trust throughout the entire corporation."

Rose cocked her head and glanced down at the papers again, including a set of blueprints of her entire house. The waiter walked up and started to place a plate of T - bone steak and broccoli right onto the maps. She scowled up at him and swatted at his hands.

"Watch the hands, garcon." she snapped. "Don't put that shit on my papers. What the hell's wrong with you anyway?"

The waiter rolled his eyes with annoyance and walked away.

Rose sighed and glanced down at the near empty plates surrounding Wesker and shook her head in surprise and disgust all at once. Not even Jonas had ever downed this much food all in one shot.

"You ate four Moons over Mi Hammy's, two t - Bone steaks, six Grand Slam's and three plates of broccoli," she said, amazed, "I have never seen anyone eat so much like that. You are so lucky to eat all that and still be able to stay so thin."

"Luck has nothing to do with it," he told her. "It's just a case of overactive metabolism. It can happen to anyone of my particular genetics." He took another quick drink. "It's mostly the cause of the Progenitor Virus."

"Is that a fact?"

"It is."

Rose smiled faintly and rubbed her chin slightly with one finger. That was an intriguing condition of his. While Wesker spoke truth of himself, she had never heard of metabolism afflicting anyone at HIS unambiguous pace. It was interesting and it would be good if she could learn more about him. But first, she had to deal with the box containing all the information about her.

"Well, now on a list of crimes I've committed, I can chalk up thievery to accomplice to murder … " she murmured, shaking her head. She inhaled quickly as she realized the severity of her attempted joke, glancing over her shoulder for a brief moment and sensing that someone she knew would come in the restaurant at any given second.

Wesker smiled at her and his tone was neither upbeat as it should have been considering his next words. "That's the spirit."

She could only give him a dirty look.

The waiter arrived again with the check, placing it at the center of the table. "You can pay for it at the desk when you are finished," he told her. "I'll wait." He noticed the many empty plates and called back to another waiter. "HEY! I'm going to need some help with this table!"

The other waiter shouted back to him from the kitchen. "ALRIGHT!"

Rose smiled and picked up the paper, pushing some empty plates aside. "Alright, let's see. What's the damage?" She glanced down at the bill and her eyes grew wide in her head, her fingers shaking and clenching the paper so hard, her knuckles went white. "WHAT THE HELL?"

Wesker held up a calm finger to the waiter. "You may want to back up a little bit," he advised, preparing the waiter for what he could guess was one of Rose's explosions of her temper.

O

"Well, I'm so glad that I blew an entire paycheck today on food," Rose muttered, as they walked into her house. "Can I sit down now?"

"Not just yet," Wesker told her. "Let's find that secret laboratory that your father had kept hidden from you. It may be in the basement, but we should still look everywhere for a switch of some kind."

Rose was already lying face down on her couch with a groan as soon as he finished his sentence. "Fine, but I want to call the guys to come over," she said, getting up and going for her phone. "They'd want to know about this before we have to get back to work."

"Good idea," Wesker replied. "They can be of some use and help us look." He started tapping books and turning pictures over to see if he could find any oddities in the room that might reveal a switch or a push button.

Rose picked up the dining room phone and dialed Beth's number. After a long moment of listening to the dial tone and the sounds of Wesker going through everything in the living room - - with an infrequent curse - - Beth finally answered, her voice bright and cheerful on the other end.

"_Hey, Rose, what's up? Is everything going okay over there?"_

Rose exhaled softly and glanced over her shoulder at the sound of something breaking. "Beth, get the guys and come over quick!" she told her. "I just found something. Something very … interesting about my house. I need you guys over to give me a hand."

There was a moment's pause and then, a surprised sound. _"Really?"_

"Yeah, tell them to hurry up and get over here. I'll explain later."

Rose quickly hung up the phone and rushed into the living room, noticing Wesker going through a desk now in the library. There were papers scattered about all over the floor and a broken vase lying in pieces. She frowned at him, not even the slightest bit upset by the fact that he was making a mess. She'd deal with it later when she found the laboratory.

"Find anything?"

"No."

Rose inhaled sharply and rubbed the back of her neck. She just couldn't believe that her father would hide something this deep from her. Did he have a good enough reason? She wasn't sure she'd like that reason if she found out.

"Maybe I'll try upstairs. There could be a … like a ladder or something that might go down the - - "

"Rose … "

She snapped out of her reverie and looked up; noticing him standing beside a bookshelf with his hands over a blue - bound book entitled "The Sparrow". He opened it and there was a bright red button inside at the very center of the book, cleverly hidden away in a carved-out square. Although Wesker didn't see the clever behind it; after all, this had been done before hundreds of times in the past.

"Whoa!" Rose grinned, walking up to him. "You found it!"

Wesker made a soft sound in the back of his throat. "It's old too," he replied. "Let us hope it even works anymore." He pressed the button.

They both turned at a low, dry creaking sound. The bookshelf beside them was slowly opening and sliding back to one side to disclose another grey steel door underneath of it. Rose walked up and touched the dusty keypad, blowing a thin stream of dust aside. A deadpanned sigh escaped her lips. Well, there was no way they'd get in now.

"It's no good," she said. "We'll never be able to … " Wesker suddenly punched the keypad with all of his might, sending her jumping back with a startled shout of surprise. "GODDAMN IT, WESKER!"

He smiled at her as the door roared open and gave a smooth gesture with one hand in front of him.

"Ladies first."

Rose raised a brow at him before she descended down a long flight of stairs that led into a larger hallway full of various rooms, cages and crates. He followed silently behind her.

"You know, my father could have at least given me a _clue _about this while he was busy," Rose said, her voice echoing in the darkness, letting it know that the room below was enormous.

"An Umbrella employee wouldn't do such a thing, Rose," Wesker said. "After all, I was one of them, you realize. The job comes first, sometimes as a means to ensure the safety of family that few employees may have had. Plausible deniability is often the safest measure."

Rose watched as the stone disappeared and more and more, she began to notice pale white walls and ceiling. She fumbled in the shadows for a light source of some kind and Wesker only chuckled.

"Rose, leave it to the one who can actually see his own nose in front of his face, please," he told her, pushing her aside.

Finally, after a brief moment, the entire room was flooded with light. Wesker had his hands on a large switch and ceiling lights began to flicker on, revealing a massive hall before them. To the side were offices and work stations. Rose looked stunned and breathless.

There were cages and glass pens against the walls as well and she gingerly touched one of the cold, damp cage bars. There was dried blood splashed along the floors and walls inside and a clipboard attached to the side of the cage.

"What happened here?" she gasped, horrified.

"This could have been a possible testing facility, considering the cages and the glass holding pens here," Wesker replied. "A _live _testing facility used to study any T - virus subjects. Rather dangerous in his own home if you ask me."

Rose blinked in disbelief and took a clipboard from one of the cages. She studied the print on it, smeared with age and a little blood before read it out loud.

"'Subject Number 89. Succumbed to infection within 15 minutes of injection'," she read. "'Mutation stage 1 becomes hostile. Immediate termination required'." She blinked in disbelief. "What the hell mutates in less than 15 minutes?"

"I believe that is the cause of the G virus," Wesker explained. "And it was a very unstable one at that. Your father must have either been brave or a fool. It could have escaped and surely killed you while you slept, perhaps even infected you."

Rose had only heard rumors about G. It had been a virus created by William Birkin that caused horrid, rapid mutation in the host and uncontrollable murderous rampages. But that was all she had ever heard. She never thought anything existed like that but the T - Virus and the Las Plagas.

"So … was my father really responsible for studying this …G virus thing?" she wondered. "What the hell is it anyway?"

Wesker opened his mouth to speak, but the sounds of Jonas and the other two coming down the stairway halted him. He turned and noticed them coming up, surprised looks on their faces.

"What is this place?" Beth gasped, casting her eyes around to the cages and the offices around them. "How'd it get down here?"

"It was always here, from the looks of things." Kirk added.

Rose stared at them, a haunted look in her eye. "It was my father's testing lab…" she gasped.

O

Rose wasn't sure what to believe anymore. So far, all that she was finding out in such a short time was nothing but insanity in itself. Her father had been an Umbrella Researcher, but she never knew that he kept dangerous creatures just beneath her feet. She began to wonder just what else he was lying about. Maybe there was more to it all and maybe she didn't want to know.

Wesker was going through several empty coolers in hopes of finding some viral samples and glanced back in irritation at the sounds of Jonas humming a rather irritating tune to himself in between flipping through some books.

"Will you desist?" he snapped.

"Why?" Jonas asked, smiling. "Don't you like music?"

Wesker shook his head. "Not unless it's the melodically sweet sounds of your utter demise ... "

Jonas paled. "Um … hehe … " he stammered. "I'm not so sure if that would sound all that good."

Beth walked into the room with a scoff in his direction. "You're so full of shit, Jonas," she snapped. "Now come on and help us go through this stuff, and do some work for a change."

"In what way am I full of shit?" Jonas asked, grinning. "Which one of us has the PhD in Child Psychology?"

Beth gave him a murderous look that suddenly broke at the sound of Rose's scream. She looked up in alarm and needless to say, so did Jonas. It took two seconds of the three staring at each other.

"What the hell?" Beth gasped, rushing out of the room.

Wesker and Jonas followed her toward the sound of the scream. They were led to the animal holding pens, only to find Rose backed up into the corner and pointing at one of the cages. She was shaking, her eyes wide in terror and her finger trembling at whatever she was pointing at.

"What is it, Rose?" Beth asked. She looked into the direction of Rose's finger and jumped back in horror. "Sweet Jesus!"

Housed inside the pen was a Licker; a zombie further mutated through the V - ACT process. The Licker possessed large, dagger - like claws, a large protruding brain and a waving, sticky tongue. Its pink, fleshy body was writhing and clawing at the glass to get at the humans outside.

"Shit!" Jonas cried. "What the hell is that thing?"

"I think it's a Licker!" Beth shouted. "I've read about those things in the Africa reports we'd received a few months ago!"

Wesker's eyes grew wide behind his glasses. How was it possible for a living Licker to still be down here after all this time?

It was at that time that Mac came trotting down the stairs. He barked loudly several times and rushed over to see what was causing his owner such distress. Suddenly, the glass containment holding the Licker shattered and the creature tumbled out in a mass of muscle and screams, going for the closest thing that it could scent in its path.

Rose.

Mac suddenly dove and slammed into the Licker, tackling it into a pile of boxes and books. Everyone watched in horror as Mac and the Licker began wrestling, clawing at one another. Blood splashed against the wall, from Mac or the creature, no one could really tell amid the chaos of their fighting.

"MAC!" Rose shouted, horrified for her dearest pet.

"Holy shit, he's gonna get ripped to pieces!" Jonas cried. "What do we do?"

Claws ripped into furred soft tissue and Mac yelped several times in agony, but continued to do as much damage as his teeth and claws could do to the Licker. Rose looked around for a potential weapon and spotted a broken steam pipe sticking out of the wall. She winced and yanked the jutting pipe from the wall with both hands, turning to face the onslaught.

"Rose, wait!" Wesker shouted.

But she ignored him, determined to save her pet. She raised the pipe and shoved it down into the Licker's skull with a ferocious shout. The Licker screamed and released its teeth and claws from Mac, thrashing wildly and sending its blood flying about. It wriggled several more times before it collapsed to the ground, emitting a dying screech before going still.

"Oh my God … " Jonas whispered, stunned. He held his head with both hands and could barely move from his spot.

Rose stood there, sorrow - stricken and knelt down to her whimpering pet. She touched the gaping, bloody-drenched wounds and bit her lip, attempting to keep her tears in check. Mac watched her weakly with blackened eyes, tongue lolling out and chest heaving harshly in spasms of pain.

"Rose, I'm sorry … " Beth said, softly.

Rose shut her eyes and nodded once, acknowledging the gentle apology from her best friend. Suddenly, a compilation of soft, menacing snarling sounds caused her to glance down at Mac, confused.

Mac's fur was starting to rot into a blackish mess and slowly drop away from his body in sickening, bubbling clumps. His yellowed teeth were bared and his eyes bloodshot and darkened. Wesker took a step forward, inches from charging at the rapidly changing creature.

"Rose, get away from him!" he ordered. "He's changing."

Kirk's eyes widened and for the first time, he actually agreed with Wesker. "Rose, just listen to him!" he shouted.

Mac's entire muscles began to spasm and bend, intent to kill and soon to pouncing onto her with no other thoughts in mind but to kill. Rose smiled sorrowfully down at her former animal and her shoulders shook as she psyched herself up to end it here and now.

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

Mac dove at her with a monstrous roar and she quickly grabbed the pipe from the Licker's body and jammed it deep into Mac's chest.

The dog thrashed and howled against the pipe, struggling to land his claws and teeth into her and blood was gushing from his jaws and upper body. After a few terrifying moments of roars and screeches, Mac was still. Rose stared at him in several moments, shaking from what she had just done.

"Shit … "

It took Rose a long time before she realized that the uttered word had come from Jonas' lips.

O

Rose couldn't do anything after what had just transpired below her not too long ago. She was lying on the couch, still covered in her dog's blood. Kirk carefully walked over to her with a weak smile and held out a towel for her to clean up with.

"Here," he said. "You look like a serial killer." He laughed at his joke, but ineptly hushed up when Rose didn't laugh with him.

"I should have kept the door shut," she said, softly, staring at the floor at her feet and wishing that she could hide inside the boards and disappear. Her lips tightened with frustration. "He wouldn't have died like that if I had shut the stupid door."

"But then, you would have died instead." Kirk pointed out, taking a spot beside her. "All of us might have been attacked, infected, and out in the world killing people as zombies and starting an entire apocalypse all over again."

Rose had to agree with that and knew that she was being illogical with her sorrow of the situation, but she still loved her dog and was going to miss him terribly. She murmured slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, I know," she replied, quietly. "But … I had Mac since he was a puppy. It's still terrible that he had to go that way, regardless of what COULD have happened otherwise."

Kirk patted her knee to offer comfort. "No one's blaming you for feeling that way at all, Rose." he assured her.

"Hey, Rose?"

Beth walked up to the two, carrying Mac's dog collar in her left hand. She smiled with pity for her friend and offered it to her.

"Wesker's taking tissue samples of that Licker and burning the bodies downstairs," she told her. "But I thought you'd like to keep this for a … memento or something. I know you're into that stuff. I yelled at him until I was able to persuade him that no harm could come from keeping a dog collar."

Rose sat up and took the collar, fingers tracing the tags and leather buckle. After a brief moment of silence, she smiled up at Beth.

"Thanks," she told her. "Is he almost finished?"

"Yeah," Beth replied. "I told him not to get on your case about all of this or my ass is gonna go to jail." She laughed once Rose managed to crack a small laugh. "See? I told you I'd get you to laugh any time."

Rose nodded with another soft chuckle. "Yeah, you were always good at that." she replied.

Kirk stood up from his spot and gave the two women a look. "So … does anybody need something to drink?" he asked.

Before they could reply, Wesker was just walking up the steps with Jonas and held something tightly in hand. It seemed to have been difficult for him and he looked in Kirk's direction almost curtly.

"Knife, please." he ordered.

Kirk scoffed and rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. "Oh, right, like I'm going to give you a damn weapon."

"Kirk, can you just do it, please … " Rose muttered, rubbing her forehead and giving him a stern grimace. "I really don't feel like hearing anyone fighting right now after what happened, okay?"

Kirk glared at her, and then to Wesker before storming out of the room to get a knife upon request. He returned only a minute later and diffidently offered Wesker the proper end of the blade.

"What are you doing with that, anyway?" he asked.

"I found this book downstairs." Wesker replied. "It looks to contain important text. After all, who would go through such trouble to keep it locked up in such a way? I would rip it open, but then I could damage the documents."

Kirk knotted his brow and curled his nose, wriggling his fingers mockingly as well. "Well, instead of just going through it like you please, I think that maybe you should give it to Rose, seeing since this is _her_ house and _that_ belongs rightfully to her."

Wesker gave him a cold look, watching him from atop his glasses. "I don't believe I'm enjoying your attitude, Mr. Matthews," he told him. "Maybe you had better watch your tone with me."

Beth scowled angrily and snatched the book and knife from Wesker's hands. "I'm getting really tired of the both of you playing around," she snapped. "Now let Rose open the damn thing so you both shut up."

"Fine." Wesker said, hard.

Rose took the book and stared down at it curiously. She took the knife and carefully sliced it through the metal and leather surrounding the book. The useless scrap fell away and she grimaced as she opening it. It had a musty, mold smell.

Some of the pages were sticking together and there were little notes posted on the edges of the pages as well. Rose was careful when turning them; taking great care to make sure they did not tear. She could feel the shadows of her friends as they hovered over her to see what was inside the book.

"So what's all in it?" Kirk asked.

Rose furrowed her brow. Some of the text was illegible, but she could read a little, enough to make sense of some of the documentations.

"I don't know," Rose said, frowning in confusion. "I think maybe Wesker should take a look at this thing instead." She handed the book to him and turned to go. "I have to go and lay down."

Wesker smiled smugly at Kirk, who glared at him as Rose walked away, up the stairs. As soon as Kirk heard the sound of the bedroom door closing, he stepped up to Wesker and brought his face close to his.

"I know what you're doing, Wesker." he said, angrily.

Wesker smiled at him, anticipating a fight once more and thinking no more of it than a simple joke. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kirk replied. "You think that because you got some kind of hold over all of us, you got some right to play King Kong in her own house. Well you don't. Remember, it was Rose who saved your life. I think you owe her that much to not be such an asshole all the time."

_Meanwhile_

Below Atlantic City Streets, there were two teenage brothers creeping through the sewers, flashlights in hand and walkie - talkies. They were Jacob and Gary Cole. They were whispering quietly and chuckling to themselves. It was obvious that they were performing either a dare or a prank. That or they were searching for something and knew that they had no business down here at this time of day.

"Should we really be doing this?" the Jacob asked. He seemed a little doubtful of their plan.

"Why?" Gary sneered, elbowing his younger brother in the ribs. "Are you scared?"

Jacob was looking around cautiously, flashlight scanning every pipe, ledge, and rodent that passed by. Truthfully, he was terrified and he was trying not to make such a big deal about it in front of his brother. Jacob was always a bit more frightened than his brother Gary and constantly teased for it.

"I'm just uncomfortable with the fact that we gotta do this, that's all," he said. "I mean, there's no such thing as sewer monsters, right?" He paused for a second. "Just because old man Marley saw it doesn't mean that it's real. He's going senile, you know."

"But don't you wanna get a picture of it?" Gary asked, pulling out a digital camera from his pocket and waving it his brother's face like a prize. "If we can get a shot of this thing, we can be rich! You cannot tell me that you don't wanna be rich!"

"Well, yeah … "

"Okay then, stop complaining."

Something breathed heavily through the sewers, lurking in the murky water and watching the boys as they passed over the metal gangplank. The two spun around as soon as they heard a low groan behind them.

"What the hell was that?" Jacob demanded, softly.

Gary slowly began to look unconvinced about his idea of "getting - rich - quick". But nonetheless, he was going to prove that he had the bigger pair than his cowardly brother. He was going to be rich no matter what the cost was.

"Not too sure," he said. "But I'm gonna go check it out." He held out the camera and placed it into Jacob's hands. "I'm gonna go find it and lure it out here to you, take a shot as soon as you see it, okay?"

"B - But what if it tries to eat me?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Christ, just duck or something." He paused. "Hell, piss your pants. I know an alligator never attacks anybody if you're pissing yourself."

Jacob glared at him indignantly. "Ha - ha … "

As Gary started to go, his brother bit his lip, standing there with the camera in hand and flashlight shaking in his clutches. Gary vanished into the darkness and left him alone, shaking and spasming at every drip and hiss around him.

The sewers practically moaned with every single squeal and screech of vehicles passing by, water gushing through pipes and toilets being flushed. Every sound caused a jump or a gasp from the lonely boy standing there in sludge. It was cold, too, sending shivers down his frail body.

"It's alright … " he whispered to himself, trying to reassure himself that he was really safe and there would be no harm in any of this.

Suddenly, a rat darted passed him, followed by what seemed to be several hundreds more behind. Jacob watched this in surprise and disgust, trying to keep out of the path of the flood of rodents that seemed eager to flee something.

And that was when he suddenly heard the blood - curdling scream of his brother just around the corner. A broken, bloody shape staggered out and it was him, covered in wicked slashes and blood splashed all over his face. He looked like he had been attacked by a large animal.

"JACOB! HELP!" he wailed, as a sharp, jagged thing wrapped around his torso.

Jacob was too terrified to move, watching a larger, dark shape move over the boy and sink large teeth deeply into the front of his throat to silence his screams into gurgling, muffled wails.

The watching boy's hands trembled and he slowly held out the camera, flashing it one time to get the picture. The shape reacted with a deep, inhuman grunt, disturbed by the light and now leering at him with one lustrous yellow eye.

Jacob dropped the camera, realizing that he was soon to be next, turned and fled down the gangplank to the ladder that would take him to the surface.

The creature behind him gave a bellowing snarl and pursued, leaping inhumanely to rush along the walls, occasionally swiping at his head with a somewhat larger blade attached to its body.

The ladder was just up ahead and Jacob made a quick leap, grabbing the rails and climbing as fast as he could. He rolled the manhole aside and almost made it to safety, but screamed as a monstrous force pulled him down, his legs crushing as his body was forced into submission.

A man standing at a newspaper stand then noticed the screaming boy and raced up to help him. Horrible growling and sounds of ripping flesh emanated from the sewer. Blood spurted through the air. Jacob reached up, screaming.

The terror stricken man reached down and grabbed the boy's arms, trying to fight against whatever was trying to pull him down. Lights were beginning to come on in a few buildings.

"My God!" the man shouted.

Suddenly, the large, blade - like appendage flew up through the air with a whistle and buried itself deep into his back - bone and killing him instantly. The two bodies were yanked down into the sewer and silence soon followed.

In the distance, a police siren wailed.

O

_Note_-Hehe. You'll see who or what it is soon!


	6. Chapter 6: Sewer Man

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Six: Sewer Man**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

Things were strange at her work place the following day, Rose had noticed. People were avoiding her and whispering when they thought she wasn't listening in. It was just a little unsettling. She almost had a certain fear in the back of her mind that somewhat had figured out what had happened yesterday with the files.

When she entered her office, hoping to duck away from the watchful eyes for a while, she found that Frank was there, pacing nervously back and forth. He jumped like a frightened cat as soon as he saw her standing in the doorway.

"Rose! What are you doing here?" he cried.

She blinked at the strange question and then frowned at him. "It's … my office," she said, suspiciously. "What are _you _doing here?"

Frank paused for a brief moment until he looked around frantically and then shut the door, pushing her from the doorway and spinning around, facing her desperately.

"Rose!" he gasped, softly, whispering with his face close to hers. "It's not good! The boss has been talking about you all damn day and it ain't in a good way either! He's been telling everyone that you stole something from the private files' drawers down below!"

Rose almost wavered, but quickly recovered so Frank could not easily ready the guilt that had probably revealed itself in her features. He had found out about the missing file already? Rose hadn't even prepared on a backup plan yet to save her ass and her friends because he'd surely bring them into this little incident. This wasn't good at all. She was done for.

"Does he have any proof?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.

"Well … uh … actually … no, none so far that I'm aware of."

Rose smiled and moved around her desk, thinking of a surefire way to avoid a confrontation now. "So?" she said. "How does he know it was me? After all, that was my day off. I spent it watching TV most of the day and just doing some heavy - duty relaxing."

Frank seemed to relax at that, believing what she said above what he believed were lies from his boss. "Ah, well, that's good. You scared me there for a second, man." He laughed a little bit and pointed a finger at her, holding his chest with the other hand before speaking seriously "Don't do that again."

Rose sighed. Frank might have been a sleaze at times, but he was usually a harmless sleaze. He seemed to be concerned only for her well - being most of the time. Then there were days when she wanted to stick something into his forehead. But then again, she was also apt to having bad days on those moments too.

"Rose!"

She jumped at the sight of Chief sticking his head into the office door with a dark scowl etched onto his features. He looked like he had been running around the building for a while just trying to find her. His face was slick with sweat and his lips taut against his cheekbones.

"Yeah?" she said. "What's up, Chief?"

"You. My office. NOW."

Frank grunted uneasily and scratched the side of his ear. "Uh - oh … " he mumbled, under his breath to keep from being heard.

Rose paled now. But nonetheless, she rose and followed the smaller man down the rows of walls and office desks where many people watched in unease and disbelief. Rose could feel their eyes on her and hear their whispers. She kept her head high, determined to stay strong.

" - - Rose is busted."

" - - … she couldn't have done it … "

" - - Chief's gonna fry her … "

Once the door to Chief's office closed, she stayed still, watching him rest at his chair behind his desk. He seemed distracted for a long moment before he finally spoke, his eyes locked onto papers at his desk.

"Where were you yesterday morning, Rose?" he asked. "Did you drop off the data yesterday earlier than I told you to?"

"Yeah, and you don't have to worry about that." Rose cleared her throat to keep the nervousness down. "I dropped it off and then went out to eat so I could relax the rest of the day." Oops. That had probably not been the right thing to say to your boss. But wouldn't anyone try that just to have their whole day to chill out from their tiring week at work?

Chief nodded his head once. "Mm - hmm." He paused for a long moment and lifted his eyes up at her, seemingly calm and composed. "Who else was with you, Rose?"

"Nobody, sir."

"Really? Nobody at all? You just came in all by yourself." Chief rose this time and peeked through the blinds to the blue van that belonged to Rose. "I heard from the mail boy that you had a gentleman with you; a gentleman in black, mostly. One you described - and I quote - 'could be one of the Men in Black'."

Rose chuckled softly and added then, in a sarcastic tone while waving her hands in the air. "Boss, are you seriously gonna believe a kid who's been here for only a few months?"

Chief spun around and glared at her. "I don't give a damn how long he's been here!" he shouted, slamming his fist down onto his desk and sending pencils scattering across the floor. "I want to know the truth! What happened to your personal files in the basement? Did you take them, Rose?"

Rose sputtered once and the two did not notice that Frank was standing crouched by the door, listening in on the argument. He blinked in surprise and then snickered.

"This is getting good!" he whispered, to himself. And then, he covered his mouth quickly, thinking that he would be heard.

"Come on, Chief!" Rose protested. "I've been working for you for over 10 years! That sad fact aside - I started in the research department of cellular structure when I was only 13 for Christ's sake! Why would I resort to stealing anything?" She glared at the door and kicked her foot into it, seeing Frank's shadow quickly scatter away.

"I don't know, Rose," Chief said, angrily. "But I want to know where that box went, and I may not have legitimate proof, but goddamn it, I'm going to find out. And when I do found out, I'm going to say a silent pray that it wasn't you."

Rose knew that this wasn't over and he meant business now.

O

Rose frantically typed in Jonas' cell phone number on her own time and brought it to her ear. She listened to his voice mail and groaned in frustration, pacing back and forth in the parking lot that night. She had to tell someone - - anyone about what had happened. She was in deep shit and didn't know what to do.

"_Hey, this is Jonas, ladies. Leave me a message, or don't, but do me a favor - don't text me, it's gay."_

"Jonas, it's me, Rose," she said, in the receiver. "I don't know how or when it happened, but Chief suspects something. We have to find a way to keep this hush - hush, do you understand?" She groaned and let her shoulders sag in frustration. "God, are you even off of work, yet?"

She considered calling Wesker at her house and then wanted to kick herself for it. He would just make fun of her and probably use this situation as a means to accuse her of it being her fault. Then again, it sort of was, but she didn't want to hear about it, especially from him.

But she needed someone to talk to about this, no matter who it was, so she dialed her home phone number and waited impatiently for him to pick up, growling. She began to pace back and forth in the parking lot and occasionally glanced up at the windows of Chief's office to make sure that he wasn't watching.

"You are at _my_ house, asshole," she growled. "You had BETTER pick up this damn phone!"

Back at her house, Wesker was having himself a pleasant, quiet soak in the bathtub and he even lit a few aromatherapy candles to sooth himself into relaxation. But the irritating sound of a ring tone snapped his eyes open. He grumbled softly and reached to the side for a cell phone that Rose had given him in case they needed to stay in touch. He hated the wretched thing, but it would be a good idea to keep together just in case.

He picked up the phone and held it to his ear, pressing SPEAK.

"What … ?" he muttered, annoyed.

"_What are you doing?__" _She laughed sarcastically. _"I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything. I'd hate to do that to you."_

Wesker studied his nails and cracked one of his fingers. He carefully picked up a rubber ducky and studied it with an amused smile. "I am in the middle of taking a bath," he replied. "Something that one of us should practice on a daily basis."

A frustrated, angry sound answered him and he smiled at it. _"__Cut the crap, Wesker! We have a problem__."_

"And what kind of problem would that be?"

"_Boss sniffed us out. He's suspicious about something and caught the box missing the other day,__"_ Rose said. _"__I think he knows.__"_

Wesker paused, considering this. Having someone even remotely suspect anything would really be a pain in the side. He knew now that this "Chief" would have to be taken care of before he caught on to anything else and became more of a pest than he wanted.

"Well, take care of him, then." he told her. "Shouldn't be too difficult for you, after all. He's not exactly challenging game."

"_Take care of … _" Rose paused briefly over the phone, and then she added with shock. "_Wesker, do you mean kill him?_"

"Well, what do you think I mean?" he asked, chuckling.

"_Are you nuts? I can't just kill someone!_" she cried. "_Maybe it comes easier for you, but not for me! Do you understand?_"

Wesker inhaled sharply and straightened up in the bathtub, observing a pool of bubbles surrounding his knee. "And what do you think being an accomplice means, Rose?" he pointed out. "You might as well have helped me in killing those people on the ship seeing since you lied to your boss for me."

Rose gritted her teeth over the other side of the phone, hand clenching it so hard, it started to hurt. Suddenly, she halted and looked out into the darkened streets, catching sight of something that looked very strange to her. Something moved menacingly down into the sewers, something built almost like that of a crab. She cocked her head at this and the phone drifted slightly away from her ear.

"_Rose?_" Wesker said.

"Hang on; I think I just saw something," she told him. "It went into the sewers."

Wesker wasn't entirely sure that he liked that. "Rose, don't go into the sewers just yet," he advised, "I'll be there shortly to investigate."

Rose laughed softly, taking light to a potential danger. "Chill out, okay?" she told him. "My friends are going to be out after their shift very soon. We'll check it out. It can't be all that bad. Probably some guy living in the sewers with a lot of stuff on, or something. I just want to be sure it's not…you know."

"_Rose_ … " Wesker warned, just before she hung up.

She inhaled sharply and turned, noticing her three friends walking out of the building to their designated vehicles. She rushed up to them before they could leave and they turned immediately at the sight of her.

"Guys, hang on, I need to talk to you," Rose breathed. "It's very important."

"Rose, what's up?" Jonas asked, smiling. "I just got done analyzing the tissue samples of that dog you wanted finished when I got your voice mail. He's in the clear, too. No infection."

Rose shook her head and looked around the building in case anyone could have been listening in on her. "Guys we have to talk, it's important," she told them, "But first, there's something we need to check out. It's in the sewer."

The three stared at her like she was insane.

O

"Would you mind explaining to me why the hell we're standing in a sewer?" Beth demanded, disgusted. She lifted her foot and stared down at a thick, brown sludge on the sole of her shoe. Grunting, she made an attempt to shake it off.

Rose grinned at her and pointed down the length of the tunnel. "I saw something crawl down here," she told her. "It looked strange. I want to check it out and I might need some help, okay?"

"Help … ?" Beth muttered, shaking her head, "Look, I had just spent most of my day studying waste matter that had been dumped into an incorrect disposal unit, alright? This is just not my highlight of the evening, Rose. I want to get home and get a shower and sit down with a copy of Women's Digest."

Rose heaved a sigh, considering her next words before she turned to them. "Okay, I guess I should explain. I didn't want to tell you this outside and have him see us, thinking the worst." she said. "Chief sniffed me out. He thinks I had taken a box of my personal files from the basement."

The three looked stunned.

"Whoa!" Jonas gasped. "That man must really be losing it! Rose would never steal anything! He's nuts!" He laughed. "Right, Rose?" He gave a brief pause when he noticed her silence and then, he stared at her with pain. "Rose?"

She stared at him guiltily, looking away and they gasped in horror and disbelief. They looked totally floored by the truth to her visible anguish.

"Rose! Oh God, you didn't … " Kirk whispered, horrified. "Please tell me that you didn't and this is just a horrible joke."

Rose shook her head quickly, eager to explain the somewhat awkward situation to her friends. It all came out in a rapid, run - along sentence of words.

"Guys! I hadn't meant to steal anything!" she insisted. "Wesker followed me to work after I told him it wasn't a good idea. Since he told me he wasn't gonna stay home alone, he was like 'don't tell me what to do, Rose' and I was like 'I'll tell you anything I want to because you're living in my house' and then he said 'I'm still going, Rose so deal with it'. So I saw no point in arguing any further. And when I got to work to drop off that data - which he finished for me, I should add - he took off for the basement.

It was there he was reading my files and I wanted to go before someone saw us until he said 'Rose, someone's keeping something from you' and I couldn't help but want to look! And so yes, someone is keeping something from me, as far as I got to read. I don't know what's going on, but there are secrets being kept from me and I have to know what they are!"

After she stopped to take a long breath, her friends stared at her, stunned. Kirk clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, looking a little less passive and a little more like he wanted to punch somebody at that moment.

"I knew that _he _had something to do with this!" he snapped. "You were never doing anything bad and getting into any trouble until we found him in the water! It's his entire fault!"

"No, Kirk, wait a minute … "

"Yes!" Kirk interrupted. "You never did a bad thing in your life until he started influencing you! He's trying to use you like his little hand puppet! And you're letting him do it!"

Rose glared at him darkly, pissed now by that last statement. "Alright, for starters, I am not letting him do anything," she said, angrily. "And secondly … "

A low hissing sound cut her off and she blinked in confusion, looking down the sewer tunnels. The others gazed into the darkness as well, nervous looks crossing their features. Whatever it was, it sounded pretty big…almost inhuman.

"What was that?" Jonas asked, cautiously.

Rose frowned, squinting in the dark. "I don't know."

"Well, I don't want to stay and find out, if it's all the same," Jonas told her. "I'd rather not get eaten by an alligator that might have been flushed down some fat guy's shitter and is really pissed of."

Beth stared at him sideways in disgust.

Rose blinked and squinted into the dark, spotting something heading right for them, and quick. She paled and backed up slowly.

"Guys, go … " she said.

"What?" Beth asked.

"GO!" Rose shouted.

They quickly scaled the ladder back to the surface and just as Jonas barely made it, something burst from the manhole and shrieked inhumanely.

The moon shone down upon it, revealing a human - like shape clothed in tattered rags and jagged spines jutting from insipid flesh. Talon - like feet clicked menacingly against the pavement and its left arm was a large, gleaming blade of flesh that held it up straight. The tattered clothing covered up whatever face it might have had.

"Get to the van!" Rose shouted.

The words were garbled in the ears of this being and its vision perceived everything around it entirely in rapid procession. As soon as Jonas made a break for it, the creature swung its blade, causing him to tuck and roll out of the way, tumbling into the van with a sharp groan.

"Shit!" Rose gasped. She glanced down, noticing a rock and hurtled it right for the creature's head, just as it loomed over Jonas.

It snorted indignantly and turned to face her now. She stood in a defensive stance as it raised its disgusting, organic blade.

"Come on!" she shouted. "COME ON! Come get me, you ugly son of a bitch!"

Suddenly, something whipped through the air and slammed into the creature with great strength, knocking Rose clear off of her feet. She pushed herself onto her elbows and looked up in a gasp of surprise. It was Wesker, holding back the creature's massive blade arm in both hands.

"I told you not to go down there, Rose," he said, giving her an irritated glare from behind his glasses. "This is what happens when you do not listen to me."

"Wesker…" she grumbled, irritated, but thankful that he had saved her.

The creature backed up slightly, a rattling hiss escaping its throat. Wesker held out two fists and punched it numerous times across its covered face before it dropped to its knees, panting and groaning weakly.

"Whatever you are, you are coming with me." Wesker told the thing.

The creature suddenly grabbed the cloth covering its face and yanked it off, uttering an oddly human chuckle beneath a rattling growl.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me, Wesker … "

Wesker's brows rose behind his glasses and watched the creature step into the moonlight. It was hard to distinguish the facial features and the ragged, rasping voice escaping from the mutation of a windpipe. But there was no doubt in his mind that he knew who this was now.

"Krauser…?"

O

Rose and her friends watched the interaction between the monster and Wesker, stunned in shock. Why was Wesker talking to it like he knew it? And why did this think talk like a human?

"What is that thing?" Jonas whispered, sidelong to Rose.

"I don't know … " Rose whispered back.

Kirk shook his head desperately. "Rose, what do we do?" he asked, keeping his gaze locked on the two beings before them.

Rose shook her head. There was really nothing that they could do right now.

"I didn't think you were still alive." Wesker said, calmly studying the thing before him. "And whatever it was that happened to you, I'd say you've lost almost all control over it."

"I should thank you for that, Wesker," Krauser said, coldly. "After all; you and that bitch left me on that island to die a so - called 'honorable warrior's death'. Were you actually aware of her betrayal? How she gave you a fake sample?"

Wesker nodded, making sure to keep Krauser calm until he could find a way to safely subdue him without causing any racket or harm to the others. He still needed them for now.

"I was well aware of it from the beginning," Wesker replied. "She set the island to explode. I thought for sure that you had died in the explosion regardless of your being alive prior to it."

"Luckily I wasn't; I managed to crawl myself into a ditch before it could kill me!" Krauser told him, smirking and shifting on his massive blade arm, "It took a long time for me to heal all those wounds I took from that bitch and Kennedy."

The others continued to watch the interaction with surprise.

"Check it out!" Jonas whispered to his friends, "Wesker's yelling at it."

"Better him than us ... " Kirk whispered back.

Wesker smiled thinly. "So you enjoy the sewer life, eh, Krauser?" he sneered. "Such a man of your tastes and personality ... I suppose it does suit you."

Krauser snarled furiously and swung his blade arm wildly, which Wesker dodged each swipe sent to him.

"I rotted on that island for 5 years because of you!" he raged, spitting saliva from his shrieking mouth. "You traitor! You shit! You fucking low - life!"

Wesker brought up his fist and punched Krauser in the face again, nearly tearing his gloves at the jagged spines around the left half of his face. Krauser doubled over and spat some blood to the side.

"You did this to yourself, Krauser," Wesker told him. "That Plagas has turned you into this monster. So it's no one's fault but your own."

Krauser snarled at him and lunged again, but this time, Wesker easily got the upper hand. He twisted to the side, wrapped both arms around Krauser's neck in a wicked version of a Sleeper Hold. Krauser struggled furiously to dislodge him.

"I'm going to kill you!" he shrieked. "I'm going to … " He cut himself off and his screams faded into soft, weak mumbles.

The monstrous Krauser collapsed to the ground, out cold in a heap of rags and tattered flesh. Wesker looked over to the watchers and gestured down with one hand. They needed to move quickly before they were seen by anyone.

"Get him in the van." he ordered.

It took a few seconds for that to register to them. Rose's eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

"Are you insane?" she cried. "That thing is not coming home with us! He tried to kill all of us first of all! And secondly … "

Wesker interrupted her. "I want to perform some tests on him down in the lab," he told her, "I will have him properly sedated and kept locked up tight. He won't escape. There's nothing to worry about."

Rose heaved a sigh. Well, one less mutation to have running around was something of a plus. She had to agree with Wesker that it might be a good idea. She looked at Beth, Jonas and Kirk.

"Alright," she told them. "Get him in the van."

Beth shook her head. "Wait, I am not touching him!" she snapped. "He might come up and try to slice us all to pieces!"

Rose shook her head and noticed Kirk's irritated glare. She shot one right back at him. "We have to keep him locked up for now," she explained, "That way, no one can know about this. It's our job to keep stuff like this from getting out to the public."

Kirk sighed, but there was irritation in his voice. "Alright guys, Rose and I got his front, you two get his back."

Beth and Jonas grimaced in disgust as they grabbed Krauser's dilapidated, back feet and Rose and Kirk took hold of his shoulders. They grunted together as they carried Krauser to the back of the van where Wesker waited with the doors opened.

Rose suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and jerked her hand away as if she had been burned. Wesker looked sharply in her direction.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I cut my hand on his nasty arm." Rose stared down at the wicked, gushing cut on her open palm. Crimson blood began to form a menacing pool in her hand and drip off to the sides. It didn't seem to bother her too much, though.

Beth acted quickly. "Shit! Come on, I think we have a first - aid kit in the van." she told her. "Let's get that cleaned up before infection sets in."

"We don't know anything about this … " Kirk added, then. "He could spread his mutation to others through direct contact. It would be best if we give her a shot."

Rose nodded, annoyed. "Yeah, that's the last thing I need … " she mumbled, under her breath. "To turn into a goddamn monster."

Wesker gave her a strange look behind his glasses. He said nothing at the remark, but simply studied the unconscious Krauser for a long time, trying to put two-and-two together as to how Krauser had gotten here to begin with.

"Well that won't happen," Beth assured her. "Don't worry. I'm not about to let you turn into this guy."

Jonas bit his lip and shook his head, looking down at the unconscious Krauser and then, to Wesker.

"I'm a steel trap. Whatever happens tonight, I won't ever, ever speak a word of it," he told him. "Seriously. I don't care what happens."

"That's very reassuring." Wesker said, sarcastically.

O

_Note_-Hurray! Krauser's here. But for how long in his condition? Stay tuned.


	7. Chapter 7: The Untold Story of Rose

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Seven: The Untold Story of Rose Bedford**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

It had not been easy getting Krauser down to the basement to the lab. He was very heavy and occasionally took out a portion of the doorways that the four struggled to squeeze him through. Wesker did nothing but watch, smiling at their progress and occasional muddle ups. He ducked as Krauser's claw arm nearly took off his head in the process.

"You know, it's a good thing to see that Jonas is actually doing more work than you, Wesker," Beth said, annoyed, working to fit Krauser onto a cold metal table.

Jonas flashed a smile. "Wow, I guess that hell just froze over, huh, sweetheart?" he teased.

Beth rolled her eyes with an irritated growling sound.

"Geez … okay," Rose was instructing them. "G - Get his leg into the door there … No, Kirk watch out for his claw arm … Jonas, keep his head up! Watch out for the - " A crash. "Great! Now I have TWO things I have to do tonight!"

"Sorry!"

Wesker ignored Beth's comment and the verbal nonsense of the others' conversations as they carried Krauser into one of the operating rooms and with much effort, lowered him onto the metal table. Then, Wesker began to fit metallic clasps onto Krauser's wrists, throat, and legs. He took a step back to view it for a brief second before he shook his head.

"No, that won't do." he replied, taking a portion of the door handle clean off of its hinges and bending the steel around Krauser's wrists to prevent any chances of escape now. He smiled, satisfied.

"Is he stable?" Kirk asked.

Wesker nodded. "He's not going to go anywhere anytime soon."

Beth heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. I just hope no one saw us coming in. He'd be really difficult to explain."

"Indeed." Wesker agreed.

"I'm going to go upstairs and clean up the mess we trailed through the house," Rose told them. "I'll be down in a little bit to check up." Just as she turned to go, she poked her head back in, looking at Jonas. "Keep him out of trouble."

"I will." Jonas said, nodding.

Rose smiled slyly at him. "I was talking to Wesker." she teased, before disappearing upstairs.

Jonas stared at the watching faces and smiled sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know what she meant by that."

Once Rose walked up the stairs to survey the damage, she made a sound in disdain, hands on her hips. Krauser's claw had taken out some portions of her walls and knocked over several paintings in the process.

"Great … " she muttered. "Not like I needed any nice - looking walls or anything … " She chuckled to herself and walked to the closet to get a broom, but halted and looked over toward the back door.

It had been left wide open, door flapping slightly with the cold, biting wind. Rose furrowed her brow and noticed various muddy shoe prints all over her kitchen floor. She backed up a few paces and held the broom tight to her chest.

Someone else was in her house.

Rose backed up cautiously to defend herself from any possible attack. She paced slowly before feeling something warm against her back and spinning around with a wild, terrified yelp, nearly hitting whoever was standing there with her broom.

There stood Chief, standing in the doorways in his coat and muddy shoes, dripping mud into gross little pools on her floor. Rose frowned at him in shock and sighed in relief, lowering the 'weapon' just the slightest.

"Chief!" she sighed, holding her chest. "You scared the shit out of me!"

Chief raised his brows slightly, an oily smile touching his lips. It was cruel and suggested that he was up to no real good. "You sure are jumpy tonight, Rose," he said, "Anything going on around here?"

Rose shook her head, still trying to figure out how he had gotten into her house in the first place. The thought of him intentionally breaking in made her somewhat angry and a little more willing to deck him with the broom, regardless of his position.

"Why are you even in my house, sir?" she demanded. "How did … "

"Your back door was unlocked," Chief said. "And I saw you carrying in something heavy and thought you might need some help." He glanced around at the minor damage of the house and smiled. "But it looks like you have already taken good care of it."

"Alright, I ain't biting the small talk; why are you _really_ here?" Rose asked, sensing foul play.

Chief glanced toward the bookcase that was slightly cracked and raised a brow. He continued to watch it and chuckled softly. Rose followed his gaze and tensed slightly at this.

"Just what are you up to, Rose?" he said. "Are you hiding something from me and your colleagues? Is it something that you shouldn't be hiding? Something … nasty?"

"What?"

Chief turned to her and took an almost menacing step forward and she couldn't resist taking a step back from him. "Come on now, Rose," he snapped. "I know you guys think I am, but I'm not that stupid. My memory may be failing with my age, but I know a traitor to the world when I see one. I have seen and heard of him since before you were born."

Rose paled and quickly took her eyes from the bookcase. What was she going to do now? He knew. He had known all along. The only question that remained was: Why had he not done anything about it sooner?

"What are you … ?"

Chief laughed heartily. "Rose, come on! Al? Do you really think that anyone's dumb enough to fall for that kind of lie?" he sneered. "I knew who he was the second he came down across that gangplank."

Rose frowned and tried to keep his attention diverted elsewhere for as long as she could. "Then why didn't you do anything about it?" she asked. "Why did you just let us go if you knew that I was lying?"

"I had no real way to prove that he was the legendary Albert Wesker," Chief continued. "He would have fled if I alerted the authorities and that would have been it. I had to see if he'd make himself known."

Rose wanted to make a break for it to warn Wesker, but at the same time, she was worried about Chief leaving and alerting someone about him being here. She wasn't really concerned about herself, but rather, her friends who had become embroiled in all of this mess.

"If you want to cause any kind of problem, then just leave my friends out of this," Rose said, angrily, "They have nothing to do with it. I made the choice to save him from the water and bring him here; they only did what I told them to do."

Chief cocked his head at her with a cold grimace. "That's the problem, Rose," he snapped, "That man, Wesker, he's influenced you already. I can't let any of this happen! I can't let you know what he's doing!"

Now Rose was stunned. She turned to make a break for it to the lab, but Chief seized her wrist and she spun around angrily.

"Let me go!" she shouted.

Chief tilted his head and glanced down at her wrist. A smile touched his lips and it was one that Rose did not particularly like. It carried a bare hint of something akin to hunger and evil intentions and she only struggled further.

"I think if you do something for me, I might be willing to let this slide." Chief hissed, cruelly.

Rose's eyes grew wide in disbelief and disgust and many other emotions that equated to hatred and a need to surely defend herself here and now, even if he was her boss.

"Let GO!" Rose shouted.

She struggled to free herself and cracked him in the face with the broom that was still in her hand.

Chief lurched backwards with a yell, his hands going immediately to his face. The broom had all but snapped under the force of her swing and a jagged, open wound had opened up on his cheek, oozing bright red blood down the length of his lips and chin. He clutched it angrily and glared at her, blood gushing from between his fingers as he struggled to contain the wound.

"You FUCKING BITCH!" he shrieked, going for her with all good intent vanishing.

Suddenly, in a swift gust of cold air, Chief was suddenly sent flying back from her with a scream of terror, his body hurtled into the wall in a dull snapping sound. Rose watched in shock as he became pummeled with various fists and feet from Wesker who moved rapidly about in high speed flickers.

"Oh stop ... please … !" Chief moaned; lying there covered in blood and bruises. A heavy hand slammed down onto his neck, squeezing hard; bones nearly breaking.

"I told you to take care of him, Rose." Wesker said, glancing back at her. "Now he wants to start a little … skirmish with you." He raised a single yellow brow at Chief, who wavered beneath his stare. "How rude and disgusting of you, little man ... Perhaps I should teach you how pathetic being discourteous really is."

Rose glared at him, but nonetheless, she was relieved that he had saved her and expressed it quite vividly.

"Wesker thanks a lot!" she breathed.

Chief groaned, struggling against Wesker's grip. "Put me down!" he shouted. "You will not get away with this again, Albert Wesker! You cannot use her like your puppet forever! You're going to fall again!"

Rose frowned at that, a little disgusted with the constant joke that was going around about puppets. "What is it with everyone's obsession with wooden toys?" she muttered, to herself.

"You wished to know what's going on in her home." Wesker sneered, at Chief. His words were menacing and frightening to the smaller man. "Fine then, let me show you." He carried the man to the bookshelf, listening to his angry shouts as he dragged him down to the lab, his body thudding painfully against the stairs.

O

Chief screamed at the sight of Krauser on the table.

"What the hell is that thing?" he demanded, horrified. He backed up as far as Wesker's grip would allow as Krauser mumbled something in his sleep. Chief looked up at Wesker. "What are you doing down here anyway, Wesker?"

"Seeing since you will never see the light of day again, I suppose that it will only be fair to tell you that I am going to work on a new project," Wesker told him. "One that you can be of some use in."

Chief looked horrified. "Me?"

Wesker flashed a smile, a cruel one that spoke of ill intentions and his fingers tightened around Chief's arms, nearly breaking them in half. "Yes. I may be in need of another guinea pig."

"Wesker, is that entirely necessary?" Kirk asked, worried.

Wesker gave Kirk a dark look. "When I want your opinion, Kirk, I will ask for it!" he snapped. "In the meantime, keep out of my way and watch Krauser for any changes." His eyes landed on the struggling man in his grip and he smirked. "It seems that I have some manners to teach this one."

Chief struggled against him as Wesker carried him away. He looked back at Rose desperately, tears filling his eyes. It was almost pathetic the way a grown man was crying like this.

"Rose!" he shrieked, trying to hold onto things and walls to keep Wesker from carrying him away. His fingers tipped a table of tools over. "Don't let him do this to me! Please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do what I did! I'm sorry! ROSE!"

Kirk and the others watched him go, stunned and unable to do anything to prevent their boss from becoming nothing more than a test thing. Finally, Jonas shook his head with pity and sighed.

"We're so fired … "

Rose rushed out of the room and found Wesker tossing Chief into a glass holding pen and locking it. She glanced down to Chief and he lay there, whimpering in anguish. For a few brief seconds, she felt pity, even after what he had almost done to her.

"Wesker, hang on a second … " she began.

"Don't do this!" Chief begged, crawling onto his hands and knees and clawing at the glass, pleading with the merciless man standing there. "Please! I'm begging you! I'll do anything!"

Wesker raised a single eyebrow. "Anything?"

Chief nodded, swallowing hard.

Wesker gestured to Rose with a single flick of his head. "Then why don't you tell her the truth, Mr. Melbourne."

Chief locked eyes with Rose and she stared back in confusion, unsure of what that really meant; they had found the secret lab of her father's and learned everything that there was to know from the documents. So was there really more to learn? She looked at Wesker and frowned.

"What truth?" she asked.

"I can't do that!" Chief moaned, "It would jeopardize all that we worked so hard to achieve this far!"

"I don't think that matters anymore." Wesker replied.

Rose scowled now, her voice raising just the slightest in volume. "What truth?" she asked, again.

"You should tell her now, Melbourne," Wesker told the whimpering man. "Otherwise, she will find out one way or another."

"I can't!" Chief wailed.

Rose snarled angrily and glared at them both. "WHAT FUCKING TRUTH?" she shouted.

Wesker looked at her with a faint smile. "It is the truth that has been kept from you your entire life," he said. "The truth that this man had known about all along. It is the truth that I read in that book."

Rose knew that something was up now. She looked at Chief angrily, wanting answers from him. He cringed away from her gaze, almost ashamed of what he knew and did not want to disclose.

"R - Rose, I … I can't … " he begged.

"You know, I think I DO want to know what you know, Craig!" Rose said, putting icy emphasis on his name. "Because someone's keeping something from me and it seems like you know more than I thought. So, tell me, then."

Chief looked over at Wesker, who stood calmly, arms folded across his chest. He shrugged his shoulders; a silent indication that he was not getting any form of assistance from him.

"Rose, I…" Chief began, dismay in his expression. "I don't know where to even begin to tell you…"

Rose sat down in front of him, crossing her legs, Indian-style. She leaned forward and looked at him severely.

"Just start talking."

O

Krauser blinked with a soft moan and stirred, drawing the attention of those surrounding him. He exhaled and opened his eyes, looking at the various faces with a grunt of confusion.

"Where … Where am I?" he asked.

Jonas grinned down at him. "You're in a lab below God's good earth, my friend," he said. "We brought you here for … uh … educational purposes. You're fine now. You gave us quite a fight." He jumped slightly as Krauser shifted somewhat to get comfortable beneath his confines.

Beth rolled her eyes and gave Krauser a faint smile. "Don't let the slight stubble fool you," she said, down to the mutant. "He's really a child."

Krauser furrowed his brow and glanced down at his restraints, uninterested in their pointless conversation. He grunted and struggled against them for a few moments before he looked around at all of their faces, seeking out answers.

"Why am I here?" he demanded. "Why am I tied up like this? What do you want out of me? Who are you people?"

"Hey. This was Wesker's idea, not ours," Kirk snapped, arms folded. "So keep your mouth shut and just wait until he gets here."

Krauser snarled at him, baring his jagged teeth at him. That caused him to struggle further. "Don't you tell me what I should be doing here, little man!" he spat. "When I get out of here, I will kill you and suck out your brain! Understand?"

"Now there won't be any killing of anyone," Wesker told him, walking into the room and shaking his head. "Not as long as I'm here in control of things."

Jonas pointed sidelong at Wesker with a nervous giggle. "Yeah, he's the man; listen to the smart man, right here." Wesker slowly turned and stared at him for a while and Jonas grinned uneasily, slouching his shoulders. "Sorry."

Wesker loomed over Krauser and smiled at him. "Now that we can talk sensibly, I want to know one thing, Krauser … "

"Okay … " Krauser said, annoyed.

"If I find some way to return you to…sub - human status, are you willing to work for me again?" Wesker asked. "Or should I just dump you into a river once I finish draining every single cellular compound and tissue from your corpse after I finish testing on your body?"

Krauser seemed to think about the consequences of that should he attempt to fight back. He murmured softly and glanced around the room, scanning his surroundings before he gave Wesker a somewhat defeated look and nodded once. He wriggled beneath his bonds.

"You can fix this?" he asked, gesturing to his monstrous body.

Wesker smiled. "Whatever we can do, we will try," he told him. "Once I perform some more tests, we should be able to fix you. It would be such a shame to have your … skills go to waste."

Jonas studied Krauser's reptilian feet that wriggled inside his tattered boots. He gave the annoyed mutant a sheepish smile and gestured to the sharp claws.

"Nice feet." he joked.

Krauser gave him a nasty look before he rested his head back to look at the ceiling. He sighed with frustration and licked his lips.

"I'm hungry … " he told them.

The three looked at each other, and then to Wesker for some kind of help on that. He simply shrugged his shoulders. Finally, they looked back down to Krauser, confused. What would he eat that didn't qualify as human flesh?

"What are you hungry for?" Beth asked.

"Not me, I hope … " Jonas mumbled.

"I don't care," Krauser said, inhaling sharply. His voice was rising and rising as he spoke, "Just give me anything you can find on you. Anything! If it's a bone, give me that. If it's candy, give me that. Just bring me SOMETHING TO EAT!"

Jonas nodded at them. "I'm on it!" he said, rushing out of the room, nearly tripping over his own feet and falling onto his face until he jumped and straightened up, taking off up the stairs.

"He certainly is an insufferable fool, isn't he?" Wesker said, giving Beth a look.

Beth could only shake her head.

Meanwhile, Chief was still giving Rose all the information that she wanted. With every bit he gave her, more and more she looked horrified and confused. Rose wanted to cry, but she felt too hurt and betrayed to do so.

"That can't be right … " she gasped, shaking her head.

"It's all true, Rose," Chief told her, sadly. "Every single bit of it is true. I'm ashamed to say that, but it is."

Rose took a moment to let it all sink in. She rubbed her head before covering her face with one hand and keeping the dry lump down in her throat. It was hard to believe every single word that he had said and Rose struggled to find her voice before she glared at Chief.

"No. You're lying!" she said, angrily, defiant. "It's a lie! It's all just a sick joke! It's gotta be!"

Chief smiled sadly at her. "Why do you think you've never been able to see your mother?" he asked her. "Why do you think you were always sent to private schools? And why do you think you were never allowed to be with other children?"

Rose shook her head, gnawing at her lower lip. "He was my father!" she shrieked.

"No. He was your guardian, that's all he was," Chief told her. "He led you to believe that you were his daughter so you would have a normal life when in truth, you are just like him, Rose. Just like - - "

"NO!" Rose shouted, interrupting him before he could finish that horrible sentence. "I am nothing like him! NOTHING AT ALL!"

Chief smiled and nodded. "You are, Rose," he said, softly. "You are. You are like him, minus the superior fighting skills. But when it boils down to it, you both are one in the same." He inhaled sharply. "Such a shame, too, your daddy was such a nice man. It was terrible when they took you from him. After a while, he stopped coming to work. He just quit caring."

Rose got to her feet and he looked up at her curiously.

"What are you doing?" he asked. A brief pause. "Were are you going, Rose?" She didn't answer him and he watched her go without a single word from her lips. "READ THE BOOK, ROSE!"

Rose returned to the room where everyone was feeding Krauser. Wesker was going through some tools and they froze at the sight of her standing there, looking up with concern. Her sick expression told them that something was wrong.

"Rose?" Kirk said, "Are you okay?"

Wesker faintly smiled, knowing the reasons entirely.

Rose stared at him, her features sickened and rather impassive. The whole thing had been quite a shock to her and she was having difficulty processing this all at once. She had to read the book now, had to learn what the truth was, no matter how…sickening it made her feel inside.

"I … I'm going to go lay down, okay?" she told them. "M - Make sure … " She cut herself off and sighed. "Never mind…do what you want…I want to be alone for a little bit." She turned to go but Kirk stopped her, a hand resting onto her shoulder.

"Rose? What's wrong?" he asked.

Rose shrugged him off with a single rotating of her shoulder. "Just … leave me alone, please."

They watched her go, stunned by her changed tone and behavior. They looked at Wesker for an explanation, but all he did was smile at them and shrug his shoulders calmly. They'd learn later, while Rose allowed for it to simmer a little bit.

"She'll be alright," he told them. "Now, let's begin with the testing."

Jonas was holding an apple over Krauser's mouth by the stem, not catching the impatient scowl on his face as he attempted to reach it with his teeth. "But what about Rose?" he asked. "She's our head researcher. I mean, we can't just leave her down in the dumps like this. She needs someone to talk to."

Krauser glared up at him. "Did I ask you to stop?"

Jonas nodded, terrified and held out the food for him to quickly swallow in one gulp and crunch. Beth watched this with wide eyes and removed a clipboard and pen from the desk to quickly scribble down notes. Wesker watched this, amused.

"Hm. You may be right."

Although Wesker cared little for her mental anguish, any servant was no good to him in such a state. He'd have to talk to her about this.

After all, he wasn't new to the feelings.

Having learned the truth about his own problems had left him in a rather bitter state, if only temporarily. He had sought out answers that no one wanted to give him, so he eventually gave up on the matter of trying to ask and decided only to take. Rose would have to learn the same thing.

Meanwhile after some time had passed, Rose had just gone through most of the book and was lying in bed, tears streaming down her face and the covers close to her cheeks. She wanted to cry herself to sleep and hope she would never wake up again. Right now, she just wanted to sleep for a while.

O

_Note_—Poor Rose! See what comes next! Don't forget to review. Tell me how I'm doing so far.


	8. Chapter 8: Under Pressure

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Eight: Under Pressure**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

"Just leave her alone, okay?"

"Look, she can't sleep all day like you."

"Let me talk to her."

"I think you've done enough to her for one day."

"Do you?"

The sound of arguing died down and there came a soft knock at the door. Rose grumbled angrily and hid her head beneath her pillow, hoping to block out the sound. She poked one angry, bloodshot eye at the door and wished that she could shoot it down to shut them up.

"Go away!" she shouted.

"Rose … " Wesker's voice came from behind the door. "May I please come in?"

Rose rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice. He was the last person that she wanted to come in during her time of mental pain. He would just rub her sadness in her face and laugh at her for it, that's all he was good at. She glared at the door before tucking her head back into the pillow and wishing that she could just smother herself with it right now.

"No. Go away, Wesker!" she snapped.

A soft sigh and one that was impatient. "Rose, I am being polite," he replied. "I can simply break the door down if you'd rather have me do that."

Rose growled in frustration. For one, she was in no mood to pick up a discarded door and any bits and pieces along the way. Why did he have to be so damned difficult? With a heavy sigh, she muttered something under her breath before answering.

"Fine." she snapped.

After a brief moment, Wesker opened the door and stepped inside, walking up to Rose's side of the bed and kneeling down in front of her. He plucked the pillow from her head and casually tossed it at the foot of the bed.

"Rose, you shouldn't hide in here like this," he told her. "That only makes things even more worse than what they need to be."

Rose looked at him reluctantly and she knew that he had known the entire time. After all, he had read the book before she did. "Did you tell them?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

"And?"

Wesker smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I think that it's up for you to decide that for yourself, Rose," he told her. "They are your friends, after all. They seem willing to cheer you up after all of this. And that Kirk, he was like a little puppy; he would not leave your door alone all night."

"That sounds like him alright." Rose murmured, amused at Kirk's constant vigil at her door side.

Rose exhaled and forced another hot lump in her throat back down into her stomach. She wasn't so sure that she could stop herself from crying again should she see them. What would they think of her now?

"Rose, you shouldn't stay in bed all day," Wesker continued. "It is a shock for you, I understand. It was a shock for me as well. But you have to learn to accept it as a part of you, even though you don't have to like it." He chuckled. "Just do what I did when I found out."

Rose raised a sarcastic brow at him and her words were almost muffled against her palm. "What, go on a killing spree?"

"No." Wesker said. He paused briefly and nodded with false amusement. "Well, yes, but I was talking about making it better for yourself. Think of the possibilities, the bright ones. Think of how you can better yourself than normal human beings."

"But I don't care about being better than anyone else," Rose protested. "I just want to be me."

"There's no reason for that to change at all," Wesker said, watching as she clumsily staggered out of bed, "This is just a part of you, Rose. Just as it was a part of me the day I discovered it. Embrace it, accept it. For it makes you better."

Rose muttered something akin to a complaint before she looked down at her hand and rubbed the bandage slightly, hissing softly in pain. Wesker's eyes landed on it and he tilted his head curiously, wondering if she was having a reaction to the scratch or if it still caused her pain.

"How is that?" he asked.

"It's fine." Rose replied. "I'm going to go down to eat, have you eaten yet?" She thought about that and cringed somewhat, all too reminded of the incident with her ship. "Ugh … let's hope not … " She opened the door to walk out, but suddenly felt a warm hand at her shoulder.

Rose turned and looked back at Wesker in surprise. He was smiling at her, and for the first time, it wasn't mocking. It was actually comforting, or maybe she was just imagining things and he was just messing with her head.

Rose managed a smile. "Well, this is new," she muttered. "Did you eat some Mr. Nice Guy Mushrooms while I was asleep?"

Kirk and Jonas were playing poker at the dining room table. Jonas was shuffling his cards and Kirk watched him with disdain. They were in the middle of an argument while Rose and Wesker walked down the stairs.

"Gambling? Who said anything about gambling anyway?" Jonas said. "It's not considered gambling when you know you're gonna win easy. Counting cards is a foolproof system that tells you that you are GOING to win no matter what."

Kirk scowled at him from across the table, fingering with the rolled up newspaper in the corner. "Jonas, counting cards is illegal."

Jonas laughed and rolled his eyes. "It's not illegal, it's frowned upon, like ... " He thought about that for a moment, tapping his chin, and "masturbating on an airplane."

Kirk gave him a weird look and licked his lips with disgust. "I'm pretty sure that's illegal too."

Jonas looked thoughtful for a brief second before he grinned sheepishly. "Oops." he said, giggling and taking a drink from a can of beer at his side.

Kirk glared at him, cringing in revulsion. "You're disgusting."

Rose walked into the kitchen and smiled when she saw them. She was hungry and wanted to find a way to get rid of the terrible, sour taste in her mouth. Since she had slept in her clothes, a shower would be nice too.

"Good morning, guys!" she greeted.

Kirk and Jonas looked over at her with almost awkward smiles. "Morning, Rose," Jonas said. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Ehh … so - so ... " Rose made a hand waving gesture, opening the cabinet and going through it to find her container of ground coffee.

Wesker walked slowly passed her and reached up with one hand to the top of the cabinet and holding out the can without even looking at her. She grimaced with embarrassment before she took it.

"Thanks." she told him.

"Hey, Rose," Kirk said. "Come sit down with us." He gestured to the chair in the middle of them both.

Rose stood still, her stomach filling with ice. Here was the moment of truth. What would they think of her now that they knew everything? She nodded and placed the coffee can down before going to the table and sitting down between them.

"Rose … " Kirk began, shifting in his chair before he continued. "I think I have it figured all out. I think it's just a sick game. I don't even think any of this is real." He inhaled sharply. "I think that all of this is a ploy, made by that man!" He gave an angry gesture to Wesker.

Rose looked stunned for a moment. She furrowed her brow and thinned her lips into a sneer, unable to fully comprehend what he was getting at. He seemed to be denying this, which made it worse for her. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice hardening.

Jonas stared at Kirk in disbelief. "Hey, come on, man!" he protested. "That's not even remotely what we were talking about!"

Kirk kicked him from underneath the table.

Wesker gritted his teeth behind his closed mouth. He would not argue with such petty accusations from such a simple, deluded man; he left it up to Rose to believe it. But he shifted on his heels, wanting nothing more than to shut this loud, obnoxious man up for good.

"What do you mean about that, Kirk?" Rose asked, angrily. "Why would all of this come up, and then out of the blue, be a straight up lie?" She leaned forward. "Are you saying you have a problem with me now that you know this?"

Kirk faltered somewhat at that, and held out two hands, quickly on the defensive. That was not what he had meant at all and he didn't want her to think that he had a problem with her being different now.

"No! No, no, no," he stammered. "That wasn't what I meant at all, Rose!" He gathered his thoughts and whispered now. "But think about it! It's probably just another way for him to keep you on a tight leash!"

Wesker bared his teeth at him. "You are treading on dangerous territory," he threatened, "Keep it up and I will reconsider sparing your miserable life!"

"Go ahead, then!" Kirk spat. "I don't care what you do! I'm … " He was cut off the second Wesker blasted behind him in the blink of an eye, hand at the back of his head, holding it back and fingers at his throat, poised for a wicked death blow. This was all done so fast that Kirk barely registered any of it.

Jonas sighed and rolled his eyes. "Guys, come on … " he protested. "Can we _try _to keep ourselves from killing each other?"

Wesker noticed a gleam of fear in Kirk's eyes, despite the fact his gaze never wavered from his own. Interesting. While still afraid, he was willing to defy him. Wesker recalled something like that in Chris Redfield and that only made him want to tear his head off even more.

Rose tightened her lips and stood up from her chair. She had enough of this talk for one day, knowing that she wasn't going to deal with it right now. "Where's Beth?" she snapped. "I want to talk to her."

Rose walked to the bookcase that would take her to the lab. Kirk called back to her with a sigh, realizing he might have gone a bit too far with her.

"Rose, why?" he called. "Just come back and talk to us!"

"No! I want to go find and talk to someone who's not being a complete asshole!" she shouted, as she descended the stairs.

Kirk pursed his lips and covered his head with one hand, realizing that he may have ruined the one chance he had to win Rose.

"You asked for that, man." Jonas told him.

"Shut up!"

O

Beth was flashing a light in Krauser's mutated eye, testing it for sensitivity. The slit dilated slightly in response to the light. Beth smiled at him and patted his shoulder with one hand.

"Well, you seem to be calmed down from that tranquilizer," she said. "Wesker gave you enough to knock out an elephant, but it seems to put your mood swings down to normal."

Krauser nodded, licking his lips. "Yeah, I actually fell pretty good today too." he said. "Not sure, but I might be kind of thirsty."

"Well, I'll get you some water as soon as I finish up here," Beth assured him. "You'll probably be able to get out of that soon too.

Beth turned at the sight of Rose walking into the room. She smiled, delighted to see her friend. Unlike the boys, Beth didn't care for the news about Rose. She was still her friend no matter what had changed.

"Rose, good morning!" she greeted. "How are you doing?"

Rose chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I was on my way to the shower this morning ... was going to have some coffee ... changed my mind ... and I thought I'd stop down here and … hide."

Beth chuckled. "From what?" she asked.

Rose struggled to find her voice and the proper words. Now that the two were down here, even in the presence of the mutant Krauser, Rose wanted to cry. She felt like Beth was the only one she could really open up to when she was upset.

"I should've gone into pediatrics." Rose finally said, chuckling sorrowfully.

Beth stared at her friend sympathetically and put the small penlight into her coat pocket before putting her arms around Rose in a comforting hug.

"Oh, no … " Beth said, softly.

"That's it," Krauser muttered. "I would like to be shot in the head now … "

They ignored that remark and Beth looked at her with a pitiful smile. She shook her head and scoffed.

"Rose, don't worry about it!" she told her. "You are my best friend. You have been my best friend since we were six! Nothing is going to change that! I promise. I don't care if you grow a tail. You'll always be Rose Bedford, master researcher."

Rose smiled sorrowfully, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I guess I will."

"Listen! You need to forget whatever the hell those assholes up there are saying," Beth told her. "I mean, you're tough, Rose. I know you are! You can take anything. You can shake this! This may change your life, yeah, but it's all how you take it!"

Rose managed a smile. "Wesker sort of said that."

Beth looked thoughtful and then nodded once. "Well, the guy does have a bit of a point," she pointed out. "He's an asshole at times, but he's telling the truth."

"Could someone please kill me?" Krauser muttered.

Rose glanced down at Krauser for a few moments. "How are you feeling?" she asked, intent on diverting all attention from her.

Krauser smiled and chuckled. "I've had better days," he replied. "But I'm cool." He smirked in Beth's direction. "Much better than that other poor sap."

Beth's eyes grew wide and she glared at him angrily, gesturing for him to shut up before Rose found out more than she needed to know this early in the morning.

"What other poor sap?" Rose asked.

Krauser tried to get her to forget about what he had just said. "Ahhh, never mind. My head's still kind of fucked up a bit, forget I said that."

Beth watched as she walked out of the room and followed behind her, knowing that Rose wasn't about to forget what Krauser had just said.

"Rose? Now, Rose, wait … " she advised.

Rose walked up to Chief's holding pen and she blinked in disbelief for a brief moment before her eyes flickered in controlled sorrow. She exhaled and shook her head, uttering a soft prayer.

"Oh Chief…" she whispered.

Beth looked at her sadly. "I tried to stop him, Rose," she told her. "But he wouldn't have it. There were faint traces of G samples left in the cages … and Chief … " She shook her head sorrowfully. "I've never heard him scream like that … "

Inside the pen, a deformed, fleshy creature was resting in the corner. Rose noticed a pair of glasses lying cracked on the bloody floor of the pen and tattered clothing scattered everywhere.

The creature in the enclosure lifted its head, uttering soft, weak grunts as if it was just aware of its audience. Its face was horrible, pale white eyes looming through a crushed-looking skull. Jagged teeth jutted excruciatingly out of its almost canine - like maw. It had one massive clawed arm that dragged across the floor and a frightfully smaller one. Its feet were large, built to act almost like a kangaroo's.

"Chief … " Rose whispered, bending down to the pen and touching the glass.

The creature looked at her sideways and mumbled soft, sad moans. It turned its back for a brief moment to reveal jagged, horrible spines.

"He said it was what Chief deserved for what he almost did to you," Beth continued, trying to keep her own tears in check. "Chief's been very quiet too after the injection. He hasn't even yelled once. The final stages of mutation have not gone through just yet. I'm surprised that he still recognizes you."

The creature studied Rose with its pale eyes and uttered another sorrowful whine. It slowly inched toward the watching women and studied Rose with a series of sniffing and snorting.

"Rose?" it moaned, between growls and hisses.

She nodded sorrowfully. "Chief, I'm so sorry … " she said, "I didn't want this for you. I didn't, I wish you knew that. I _hope_ you know that anyway."

It was useless to say such a thing because the infected were usually too far gone to acknowledge any real speech and thought.

"Rose … hurts … " the creature grunted; heavy breathe fogging up the glass and claws gently scraping the ground. "Hurts … always … hurts … "

Beth's eyes widened, haunted. "It's … it's talking, Rose!" she gasped.

Rose leaned forward. "Chief?"

"Rose … hurts … " the creature repeated. "Rose … hurts … "

Rose tried to understand what the creature was telling her, but it was difficult. Finally, it dawned on her. Was Chief still in there somewhere? Was he trying to tell her something? She felt nothing but a dull ache of pain at the thought.

"What?" she whispered.

Beth blinked rapidly after finding her voice and she looked down at Rose, still in shock that the creature could speak at all.

"I … I think he's telling you that he knows that you are hurting inside, Rose," Beth said. "I think … "

But even she didn't believe her own words. It was impossible for a creature like that to feel such a way.

Rose looked up at her for a moment before looking back at the G creature. It hissed and moaned a few moments more, staggering back from the glass and holding itself with its massive claws, seemingly in pain. Fresh red blood oozed from the claws that pierced its own skin.

"Rose … !" it bellowed, anguish in its cry. "Rose … hurts … Rose … Rose!" It seemed to calm itself before it inhaled and snorted. "Rose … I … I … " It was quiet for a long time, clawing at its own stomach for a few brief moments before it looked back at her. "Rose … I … Rose … Sorry … "

Finally, after that final sentence, the G creature let loose a bellowing roar and slammed its weight into the pen, screaming to get out. Rose blocked out the sounds of its anguish by squeezing her eyes shut and forcing the tears to stay down.

O

"Why did you do this?"

Wesker was startled by the accusation and more or less, surprised by her opinion against it. Had Chief not tried to violate her? And more importantly, had he threatened to endanger her friends?

"You're upset with me." he said, stating a fact.

"You're damn right I'm upset with you!" Rose snapped. "Why did you inject Chief with G? What good would that have done?"

Wesker considered his explanation for a few moments before he spoke. "Rose, the samples of G required a test subject. Seeing since G had never been tested on those with physical deterioration in the case of Chief, I wanted to see how it would react."

"But … "

"It's all in the name of Science, Rose," Wesker interrupted. "You should know about this as much as I do. After all, you've performed tests on human subjects at your place of business, haven't you?"

Rose wavered somewhat. That was true. She had performed only a few tests on living human specimens regarding potential cures for G, T, and various other viruses that had been developed by Umbrella. That had never been the highlight of her job, but it was something that had to happen.

Wesker smiled, triumphant by her pitiful expression. "It is the same thing, Rose," he replied. "I just perform my tests without any hesitation regarding the host."

"It's not right." Rose said, sorrowfully, "It's not right."

Wesker smiled at her and shook his head. "Of course it isn't right," he replied. "Who said it had to be right?" He inhaled deeply and his gaze shifted from himself and to her. "After all, you and I are testament to that, aren't we?"

Rose opened her mouth to protest, feeling the cold sting in the pit of her stomach once more. Wesker took a few steps toward her and chuckled softly. He looked as if he wanted to place a hand onto her shoulder, but he pulled away at the last minute; yet it was held out there long enough for it to be seen.

"I have to admit, when I found out, I was _very _surprised," Wesker told her. "After all, I didn't think there were more out there. Alive anyway. I suppose Spencer was very arrogant into thinking I'd never find you."

Rose furrowed her brow. "There were more of us?"

"Of course," Wesker said. "One from each nationality. You are the American Wesker child."

Rose heaved a sigh. "It's just so messed up," she said. "Why me? Why now?"

Wesker nodded. "It will take some time to get use to, I understand," he replied. "So, I will simply leave you alone to collect your thoughts while I continue with Krauser." He turned to go.

"Wesker, wait … "

He stopped inches from leaving and looked back at her questionably. Rose thought about asking him something, but changed her mind. She shook her head and gestured for him to go.

"Never mind." she said.

_Meanwhile_

Darkness overtook him. All he knew was the dark, the cold emptiness of what THAT MAN had given him. But more or less, he had also been given a second chance; to prove that he was the God of this world. He was the true God of the New World that he would soon create.

"She knows … " a voice called, into the darkness.

"Indeed … She is aware of what she is … " came another voice with a thicker Western accent.

He chuckled softly. "Then let's begin the first stage."

A trembling, weak hand lifted in the dark, over a few separate keys and began to type something in rapid demonstration; the movements should not have carried with them such strength in fingers as weak as they issued a command to a large satellite hovering over Earth. It was black and red with a large letter "G" painted on its side. It turned, setting into proper location over Atlantic City.

"Phase one … initiate." The strange man whispered.

O

_Note_-It's taking a while to set up the plot. But all will be revealed in due time! Hope you like it so far and hope it keeps you guessing.


	9. Chapter 9: City of the Dead

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Nine: City of the Dead**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

The dream was there again.

Rose could not determine its meaning, but she was with Wesker this time and she was standing inside a pool of flames with him. The dream itself had heated up somewhat and Rose wanted to forget about it as much as she could. The more she thought about it, or even tried to remember the shady parts, the more a warm blush would touch her cheeks. She didn't want to look too embarrassed.

_This is the film, close to the third act and the misery  
It's not rain, you rapist werewolves  
It's God pissing down on you  
We'll die alone  
Cause I'll break off my own arms  
Sharpen my bones  
Stab you once for each time I thought of you  
Trying to take something  
You'll never be good enough to even look upon_

_It's better to push something away that's slipping_  
_Than to risk being dragged down_

_If you want to hit bottom_  
_Don't bother to try taking me with you_  
_I won't answer if you call_  
_Two heartbeats ended in hell_  
_Trying to break your fall_

She got out of bed, quickly got dressed, washed up a little, and walked down the stairs, listening to the sounds of birds outside. It was oddly quiet this morning and a perfect day for a simple…heart o heart conversation. She wondered if anyone was even here right now. Sure enough, when she walked into the library, Wesker was there, reading something in the large red chair situated at the window.

Rose inhaled slightly and walked up to him, preparing herself for what she wanted to say to him. He barely acknowledged her there, simply glanced at the side momentarily. His glasses were off and he seemed very intent on what he was reading. Rose had almost forgotten what his eyes looked like behind the dark lenses.

"Hi." Rose said, resting one hand against the chair. "Listen, last night I got to thinking…I want to know more about all of this. I want to know everything that you know so that it will make things easier for me."

Wesker nodded. "Of course." He closed the book that he had been reading and placed it onto an end table before crossing his legs and looking at her. "What would you like to know?"

Rose blinked at that in surprise. She hadn't expected him to cooperate so quickly and it caused her to falter and nearly forget everything that she had rehearsed in her mind to say to him. She fidgeted a little bit and he raised a brow.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Rose chuckled sheepishly. "Nothing. You usually give me more hell than that," she said. "I guess I really didn't think of what to ask you." Lie. She sat down into a chair across from him.

"Well … should I begin like David Copperfield?" Wesker asked her. "Or should I attempt a softer approach like Doctor Phil?"

Rose shook her head. "Well, maybe you can tell me a little bit about the other Wesker children." She made several hand gestures as she spoke. "Like, why they were the way they were, why the wanted to do this to begin - "

"We didn't have a choice in the matter, Rose," Wesker interrupted. "We were all kidnapped from our homes as infants and forced into a life of servitude to a … " He shifted in his chair and looked a little bitter now. "…more arrogant man."

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "Did you ever meet me before? I don't really remember meeting the other Wesker's."

Wesker tilted his head back, thinking. "Well, no, actually," he continued. "At least not for lengthily periods of time; He didn't find it fitting to have children behave as children when they had so much growing up to do. So no, I have never met you in the past." He paused for a brief moment. "Although I have heard of you, but never met you."

Rose looked intrigued now. "Really?"

"Yes," Wesker said, glancing off to the side in a thoughtful manner. "He had told me of a girl who was neither flawed nor perfect. I think he was referring to you. You must have adapted to the injections we received and it caused no permanent damage the way it had to the others."

Flawed or perfect? Rose wasn't sure whether she should be insulted or flattered by the comment. She had never felt too different in a physical manner of speaking. After reading the book, she learned that the Wesker children, other than Wesker himself had suffered from flaws and defects. But she had never really felt anything like that.

"So what else can you tell me?" she asked.

Wesker opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of Jonas beating on the door drew an irritated sound from his throat. These constant interruptions were beginning to grate at his nerves. Jonas walked into the house with a grin on his face, eager to see Krauser now that he had heard that all work had been completed on him. He rushed up to Wesker excitedly.

"Okay, where is he?" he asked, loudly. "I gotta see him!"

Wesker exhaled heavily with impatience and gestured to the steel door with a single finger. "Beth finished last night," he said. "Go ahead."

Jonas giggled like an idiot on a caffeine high and rushed down the steps to the lab. Rose glanced at Wesker questionably and he smiled at her.

"Krauser's doing well," he told her, rising from his chair. "I spent all night with your friends fixing what I could. Unfortunately, most of his arm and his legs could not be spared, so Beth suggested that a replacement be made for him."

"Sounds taxing." Rose said, trying to think about how Beth was able to pull that off all in one night.

"Indeed."

Kirk entered the house shortly after he had finished his sentence and he smiled at Rose, hoping that he could make amends for his behavior and attitude yesterday. She didn't seem too eager to see him, though due to the forced smile on her face, but she didn't wish to be too hard on him, after all.

"Is Beth with you?" Rose asked, not waiting for him to talk.

Kirk's face fell with dejection. "Well, no," he said, sadly. "She wanted to sleep in a little bit. I'm glad she is, too. She did work all night."

Rose nodded, her voice slightly harsher than usual. She was still upset, that much was obvious. "Good," she replied. "Beth deserves a day's reprieve considering she was also spending a half hour telling me how much of a friend she was."

Kirk cringed inwardly and shook his head. "Rose, don't do this," he pleaded. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It came out all wrong. I want to make it up to you."

Rose shook her head, feeling only a little bit badly for the possibility of being too hard on him. But more or less, she just wanted to focus on what was going on now rather than what could inflict her later. After all, there was no point in losing sleep and work just for something like this.

"Let's not do this right now, Kirk," she told him, gently. "I have to check on Krauser." She turned and walked down into the lab, without giving him a chance to respond.

Wesker gave Kirk a smug smirk before he rose out of his chair and followed Rose down to the lab.

O

Jonas grinned widely, observing the "replacements" for Krauser; a metal arm and two metal legs. He laughed wildly and poked the man in the table with a single finger. His face was still horrid from mutations, but he seemed to be doing well. He looked quite pissed at Jonas' taunts and jeers and probably would kill him if he was able to get himself free.

"Just what the hell are you supposed to be, robo-bitch?" Jonas teased, laughing and holding his sides.

"Let me out and I'll show you." Krauser hissed, menacingly.

Wesker and Rose appeared and Krauser looked over at them with a low grumble of disgust. He wanted to be free of his restraints and able to do whatever he pleased now. After all, he did feel somewhat… normal; as normal as he could be.

"Leave him alone, Jonas," Wesker said, sternly. "After all, I have reason to believe that he is under control now. The Plagas that plagued your body seem to have been reduced to a minimal threat due to the robotics replacing your infected cells."

Krauser grumbled softly. "What about my face?" he snapped. "Can't you do anything about that?"

"Personally, I call it an improvement." Wesker said, humor in his voice. He watched Krauser grumble angrily and smiled, looming over him. "Alright, Krauser. Consider this your first test. I will release you. But if you try anything, this time, I will kill you, do you understand?"

Krauser nodded, a grimace of unease on his face. "Gotcha."

Rose tried to cheer him up, though. "Personally Krauser; ladies really find that rugged, scarred appearance in a man real sexy, you know."

Krauser smiled barely and huffed at that, but he didn't look as amused as he should have felt by the … 'Flattering' comment.

Before Wesker removed Krauser's restraints, Jonas held out one hand. "Hang on!" he said. He looked down at Krauser with a weak and quite uneasy smile. "If he lets you go, do you promise not to make any attempt to injure me?"

Krauser looked at him, impassive. "Little fat man, I have no interest in even looking at you for as long as I'm alive."

Wesker smiled at that, pleased. After all, there was no sense in needless fighting among comrades. He quickly undid the restraints and Krauser slowly sat up on the table. He tested his metal arm and legs before hopping down to the floor, nearly stumbling onto his hands and knees hadn't Rose steadied him for support against her shoulders.

Wesker took a few steps back and Rose watched him in amazement.

"Wow, you and Beth did quite a good job on him!" she said, amazed. "It looks very good!"

"I want to perform some more tests later on to see if the infection continues to spread," Wesker replied, watching Krauser's movements. "There should be no further mutations, but I still want to be sure."

Krauser took a few steps, shaking in his movements and staggers. Being without his massive arm blade to lean on, it was strange walking like a normal human being again and he felt almost weightless on one side. He clenched his metal fist and looked over at Jonas.

Everyone sensed immediately what he was thinking.

"Okay, now remember what you said?" Rose told him, holding out two hands. "You promised you wouldn't hurt him."

Krauser sighed calmly. "I lied."

Jonas took off with a small yelp and Krauser chased after him. Rose sighed heavily and called after them.

"Guys!" she shouted, in protest. "Come on now! We don't need to do this!" Finally, a loud ringing sound filled the air. Rose looked over to the metal table and discovered her cell phone lying there. She hurried to get it, but Wesker got to it first.

"Bedford Residence. Who is calling?" he asked, after answering it.

Rose stared at him in protest, mouthing the words "Give me it" and holding out her hand. He held out one finger to her and she rolled her eyes in irritation. Wesker furrowed his brow and turned a little on his heels.

"Hello?" he repeated. "Who…Who is this?"

Rose sensed that something was wrong and she turned back to him, trying to take the phone, but he held it beyond her reach, still keeping the receiver against his ear. She glared at him indignantly and put her hands on her hips.

Wesker listened to static and soft, horrible whispers. Frightened ones.

"_W … Wesker … Rose … wrong … happening ... I … help me … "_

The hum of an open line followed and Wesker stared down at the phone in disbelief. He glanced at Rose and she frowned at his confused and somewhat concerned expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Who was it?"

Wesker looked at her, his eyes flickering between red and orange. "I'm not sure," he replied. "But I think it was Beth."

Now Rose looked worried. "What happened?" she asked, horrified. "Is she alright? Is she hurt or anything?"

Wesker scoffed. "I don't know, maybe you should ask her."

"Well how the hell could I talk to her?" Rose demanded, nearly shouting now, throwing her hands in the air and advancing close enough to hit him. "You didn't even let me on the damn phone! The phone I paid ninety seven dollars for!"

"I hardly think that's relevant right now!"

Rose nodded anxiously. "You're right! We have to see if she's okay!" She turned and rushed out of the room to find Jonas. "Jonas! Jonas!" She found him down the hallway in a vicious choker hold by Krauser and scowled up at the larger man. "Dammit, you put him down!"

Krauser smirked and opened his hand, releasing Jonas upon request, leaving the man coughing and rubbing his neck and arms. Rose put her hands on his shoulders and made him look at her.

"Jonas, you barely live outside city grounds," she said. "Did you see Beth before you came here?"

Jonas shook his head. "No, I didn't," he replied. "I went through the good side of town to get some little Devil's Food cakes and…" He cut himself off and frowned. "The weirdest thing happened. It was so damn quiet when I went there. It's usually crowded on Wednesdays."

Wesker looked concerned, if only just the slightest. Usually when the simple and mundane were so easily broken and even the most foolish took notice, it was never a good sign. He knew this from experience. "What do you mean?"

Jonas shrugged his shoulders and wasn't really considering what he had said. "I went to Joe's Mart to get my cakes and no one was there," he explained. "The store was empty, but it said OPEN, so I went in and got my stuff and left." He noticed the odd look Rose gave him and scowled. "I put the money on the counter!"

Krauser shook his head and then glanced down at Wesker. "Something's up," he told him. "I smell trouble."

Rose rushed up the stairs and raced into the kitchen where Kirk was eating some chips and going through the book that had disclosed information regarding Rose and her true identity. Obviously, he was trying to find a way to figure all of this out and attempt to put himself into a better position and make amends for the stuff that he had said.

"Kirk!" Rose gasped. "We have to get to Beth's house!"

He looked up, startled. "Why?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Beth," Rose told him. "She just called my cell phone. Something's wrong. We have to go and check to see if she's alright."

Kirk rose from his chair and frowned, obviously against the idea. "Rose. Beth lives on Madison Avenue. That's clear across town."

"I don't care," Rose said, angrily. "My best friend is in trouble, so I'm going to her whether any of you like it or not!"

O

Rose grumbled angrily, trying Beth's house once more on her cell phone. Kirk was driving her van and Wesker was watching her with a small smile. She looked very frustrated.

"Is everything alright, Rose?" he asked.

"No," Rose said, with a frustrated, worried sound in her throat. "She's still not answering now and I called her twice. I'm really getting worried about her. She usually leaves a message at least."

Jonas looked back at her. "Well, did you get her machine?" he asked.

"No! I am saying that her machine is out!" Rose snapped, shooting him a glower. "The damn operator says she's not even in service."

"That's never a good sign." Kirk said, a little uneasy.

"Well, we're almost to the city," Rose replied. "Once we get there, we can figure out just what the hell's going on."

Wesker furrowed his brow, sitting there with a thoughtful expression on his face and his eyes locked onto Rose's cell phone. He seemed to be bothered by something, but he didn't speak it. Something wasn't right about the phone call that Beth had sent them. Something didn't quite add up in the whole scenario. But he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Jonas glanced down and noticed a discarded pizza box beneath his seat. He reached down and picked it up with a chuckle; and then he opened it and grinned broadly.

"Seems that providence has shined her light upon me, everybody!" he announced. "I just found my pizza from last week!"

Rose glared at him. "I _knew_ it!" she said, angrily. "That _was_ you!"

Jonas grinned and took a bite of the single stale slice. Kirk grimaced and looked away with a groan of disgust. He couldn't believe that Jonas was actually eating the stale food that had bee in the van for a week. He was a strange man who did strange and disgusting things.

"Jonas, that's fucking disgusting!" he spat.

Jonas nodded, chewing and speaking with a mouthful of food. "I know," he told him, grinning. "But it actually tastes pretty good."

"It does?" Krauser sounded interested a little bit and reached for the box.

Jonas jerked the box from him. "Hey, get your own, man!"

Krauser rolled his eyes and then looked down at Rose. He watched her silently for a few moments, studying her every movement and every gesture before he spoke, almost reluctantly.

"So … you're just like the boss, huh?" he said.

Rose flicked a glare in Wesker's direction, but nonetheless, she nodded at Krauser. Wesker obviously mentioned her little … thing to everyone indeed. He studied her for several brief moments before he smiled. Rose couldn't tell if it was an uneasy smile or a surprised one. But nonetheless, it wasn't the least bit mocking and that was good for her.

"Well, that's alright, I guess," Krauser replied. "I mean; can't all be perfect, can we?" He chuckled. "Hell, I guess if we were, the world would be one helluva boring, fucking place."

Rose gave Kirk an odd look, one that clearly read, "See? He gets it". Kirk just focused his attention back at the road, a scowl on his face. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide and he slammed on the breaks.

The force toppled the three in the back and Rose collided with Wesker with a sharp grunt and then glared back at Kirk with an angry shout.

"GODDAMN IT, KIRK!" she shouted. "What the hell did you stop for?"

"Yeah!" Krauser added, wincing. "Don't you know how to fucking drive?"

Kirk's eyes were wide and he was clutching the steering wheel with tight, shaking hands. Jonas looked up at what had gotten him so stunned and he too gasped in horror.

"Oh shit…" he whispered.

Rose, Wesker, and Krauser peered out the windows with equally surprised reactions. Before them, the city was empty and filled with various forms of wreckage and destruction. There was smoke rising in the air, cars overturned, windows shattered and no signs of anyone.

"What the hell happened?" Kirk gasped, slowly pulling the van into the city.

Rose looked at Jonas. "And you didn't see any of this?"

He shrugged in protest. "Okay, if I can speak at my own defense, you know when I get hungry; I don't pay attention to anything!"

Wesker rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "You truly are the very pinnacle of human wisdom, aren't you?" he snapped.

Rose sighed impatiently, not willing to do any fighting right now. It was the last thing that they needed now that this had happened here in the city. "Alright, Kirk, let's get to Madison Avenue," she said. "And hurry."

"You got it." Kirk answered, stepping on the gas.

The van slowly pulled into the city and Rose watched as destruction passed on by. She could only worry more about Beth and if she was even alright.

"I just hope Beth's okay … " she said, softly.

Something moved in the street and caught Kirk's eye. He frowned and slowly rolled down his window, leaning his head out to shout.

"Hey!" he shouted, "Hey, you over there!"

Jonas frowned at him. "What are you doing, man?"

"There's someone out there!" Kirk said, looking back at them. "He might be hurt!" He stopped the van and continued to call out to the moving shape, cupping his mouth with one hand. "HEY! Are you alright?"

"Something's not right," Krauser replied, squinting into the street. "He's not responding to us."

"HEY!" Kirk shouted, again.

Through the smoke, more and more shapes began to appear. Everyone's eyes grew wide once it became clear as to what and who these shapes were.

They were the city's inhabitants.

But more importantly, they were covered in jagged wounds, blood, and filth. Their eyes had become pale white and their mouth's hanging open in low, hungry moans. They were starting for the van.

"That's impossible!" Kirk cried, rolling his window up.

"It can't be!" Rose gasped.

The horde of the living dead started for them, uttering a chorus of grunts, groans, and snarls.

O

_Note_-This is Marilyn Manson's newer song called "Into the Fire". It's rather beautiful considering what he usually does in his music.


	10. Chapter 10: The World Went Away

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Ten: The World Went Away**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

Sticky, bloody hands grasped and beat at the glass of the van and those inside could only watch in shock as smears of blood and dirt streaked across the glass. Kirk grunted sharply and looked back at Rose with terror in his eyes.

"What do we do, Rose?" he asked, his voice taut with fear.

"I … I don't know." Rose stammered, still in shock. She tried to keep herself very still, even though she wanted to run away out of the back doors of the van and never look back.

Krauser leaned forward, speaking calmly into Kirk's ear. "Run them over."

"What?" Kirk stared back at him in disbelief.

"Run them the FUCK over!" Krauser shouted, slamming his metal hand down onto the gas pedal with all of his might. The tires squealed and the car practically blasted forward like a bullet, tossing everyone wildly around in the back.

Kirk gave an angry shout and struggled to keep the van in control as it surged and swam lane through lane, nearly taking out other vehicles and debris in the process. He glared down at Krauser.

"Alright!" he shouted. "I got it! **I got it**!"

Krauser smiled and removed his hand from the gas pedal sending the vehicle at a complete stop. Kirk wiped his sticky forehead with the back of his hand, struggling to calm himself before he spoke.

"Are you out of your FUCKING mind?" Rose shouted.

Kirk had to equally agree. "What the hell's your problem?" he demanded, glaring in the rear view mirror. "You could have gotten us killed back there!"

"Yeah? Well, it was a hell of a lot better that _I_ do something than what you were doing!" Krauser snapped, shoving Kirk's seat and jolting him. "I was not about to let myself get eaten by those things just because you got a sense of morality!"

Kirk let out a scoff of disbelief.

"All of you, calm down," Wesker ordered, straightening up in his spot. "This fighting will not get us the answers that we need. We have to first find out what caused this to begin with, and then we can go on looking for Rose's friend."

Rose turned her attention to him now. "Wait a second ... The more we waste time fooling around, the more Beth is left waiting!"

Wesker was willing to compromise, considering the danger of the situation and the lack of Intel for one thing. Even he was left unaware of what was going on and _that _was something he couldn't handle. He held out a hand to Rose.

"Once we know what's going on, it will make facing whatever danger Beth is in more bearable on all of us," he assured her. "So don't worry about her. She'll be fine." He added, then with a chuckle. "If she can stand up to me, there's nothing else that could pose an even greater threat to her."

Rose had to agree with that. Beth was a person without fear. And to stand up to someone like Wesker…What else could scare her?

"Well, Beth lives on Madison Avenue!" Jonas told them. "It's in THAT direction!" He pointed down the street. "You know what else could possibly be in that direction? There's probably some more of those other things waiting to chew our heads off like dog toys!"

"Jonas, we're not leaving until we find Beth and get to the bottom of this," Rose told him. "So it doesn't matter what is out there waiting to make food of our skin."

Jonas shook his head in frustration and fear, pressed tightly against his chair. "Yeah. Yeah, it does. It matters because I need to talk about something right now. Otherwise, I'm actually probably going to shit my pants in this van!"

Rose shook her head in disgust.

"First, we need some weapons," Krauser said, tapping the back of Kirk's seat thoughtfully. "Otherwise we're sardines in this tin can. Is there a gun shop near by?"

"Yeah, I think so," Kirk said, leaning forward to observe the street signs. "There's one on South Main Street. Hang on." He swerved the van roughly to the left and down another destroyed street.

_Meanwhile_

_Jamaica_

"FORE!"

A golf club swung through the air, carried by Chris Redfield and ended up bypassing the golf ball entirely. Several laughs filled the air and he scowled angrily back at his watchers.

There was age apparent in the Redfield man in his eyes and neckline. His brown hair had little bits of gray melded into it and yet, he still looked muscular and strong; age had been quite kind to him. Retirement had also been quite good to him in the past several years as well. It wasn't mai taz and Yahtzee for Chris, minus the action and everything, but the BSAA had suggested that he retire after Wesker had died.

"That was the stupidest - looking swing I've ever seen," came the jeer from a much older Barry Burton. "I bet my kids could do better than that!"

Chris flashed a mocking grin back at the man. Barry Burton had developed a wicked hunch in his left arm from a horrible gunshot wound a few years back before Chris' retirement. The wound had never properly healed and he had lost most mobility in the limb. But he was a little feisty with his age, something he had never really had during his time at S . T . A . R . S .

"Yeah?" Chris joked, leaning on his golf club. "I'd like to see that."

Barry flashed a smirk and cupped his mouth, calling out to two very attractive women sitting by a pool and reading from magazines. Moira and Polly Burton; they were once small, timid little girls but were now blossoming young adults and very attractive on the eyes. They seemed to have been capturing the eyes of some males circling around the pool.

"Polly! Moira! Come show this joker who's got the muscle in the Burton family!" he hollered. "Come on! Don't leave your old man hanging, now!"

Polly laughed and shook her head. "We don't do golf, dad!"

Barry scoffed and waved them off. "Ahhh, women," he murmured. "Can't appreciate the sport of … " He trailed off and watched two little boys flip off of the docks by the golf course. He staggered up and peered into the water with a scowl.

"Hey! James! Little Chris!" he shouted, once they surfaced. "No flippies off the dock! You could get hurt!"

James and Christopher Junior were the two sons of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. After retirement, they had settled down and had two children, the long term plan to start a family of their own finally achieved. James took mostly after his mother, having slender cheeks and blue eyes. Chris Jr. took mostly after his father, appearances mostly rough and a little more distinct.

Chris and Jill had both worried about their children considering their bad encounters with virus' and Umbrella. So they had hoped that for the best, things would stay almost normal for them and their sons could live an ordinary life.

Suddenly, a slightly older Josh Stone and Leon Kennedy rushed passed him and performed midair flips off of the dock, splashing into the water to join the boys.

Barry scoffed, holding out two hands. "No!" he said. He watched them surface the water and laugh at him. Finally, he got a little bold and swayed his hips back and forth mockingly. "All right. Let the master show you how to get it done."

"Barry, don't do it!" Josh said, laughing.

Barry backed up and dove off of the docks, yelping out and landing hard into the water. The four in the water cringed with simultaneous _oooh_'s. Barry finally surfaced, groaning in pain. He gave them all weakened looks.

"Now I want you four to go down there and find my nut sack … " he groaned, holding himself in the water. "Ahhh … "

"Nice one dad!" Moira called, cupping her mouth.

While the guys had fun at the golf course, Jill, Claire Redfield and Rebecca Chambers were inside the hotel nearby, having good girl time in the sauna, laughing and sharing jokes and champagne with one another. They were the kind of jokes that only women would laugh at and men would cringe to.

Retirement had been good for these women since they had shared the same griefs, turmoil and trial as the men. Now they could catch up on some girl time together and they were getting a chance to raise a family.

"I swear … five times a week!" Jill said, laughing.

"No way!" Rebecca gasped, hiding her blush.

The women in the room let loose loud laughs at their evocative jokes. Jill simply leaned back and sighed with satisfaction. Her joints felt like butter inside the hot steaming room and her head clearing of any nervous tension that may or may not have built up in there. It was a much-needed comforting day.

"Well, when I was in my dating years," Claire said, crossing her legs and pouring more water onto the hot coals. "I had met a guy who wanted only one thing out of me. And I tell you, I was in shock."

Rebecca shook her head and patted her knee. "Well, you were young then, you had no idea what guys were like."

Claire gave her a naughty grin and raised a single brow. "Honey, I'm talking about my second boyfriend!" she said.

The three laughed together, covering their mouths and nearly spitting out their drinks. The alcohol had allowed for them to unwind and speak about very lewd topics they would never discuss while fully sober.

"What about Leon?" Rebecca asked, giggling and cradling her wine glass close to her chest. "Does - Does he have an animal side?"

Jill grinned, eyes widening in disbelief. "Leon S. Kennedy, an animal?" she cried, as if she couldn't believe the possibilities. "I'm sure!"

Claire smirked at her and gave her a playful shove of her shoulder. "You'd be surprised what kind of … special moves Leon S. Kennedy is capable of off duty, ladies!" she told them, giving them a sly look before she took a drink.

Jill and Rebecca let loose a chorus of wolfish hoots and sputters of laughs. A knock on the door and Claire stopped laughing long enough to call out to the person and clear their heads for probable dexterous conversation.

"Yeah?" she hollered.

"Aunt Claire?" James called. "Dad's got his foot stuck in the ball wash again!" A brief pause followed. "Oh! And he's shouting dad words at the caddy!"

Claire heaved a sigh and gave Jill a skeptical look, knowing it was time for her to come to the rescue yet again. She read that and nodded, rising with the towel wrapped around her.

"I don't know how he survives without us, huh?" Claire joked, glancing down at Rebecca. "I mean, how do the guys get around?"

Jill chuckled and shook her head.

As the two women left, Rebecca proper her feet up onto the bench that now had plenty of room for her to splay it all out.

While Chris was struggling to free his leg from the ball wash machine on his golf cart, two men clothed in black suits and sunglasses approached him, casting their shadows over his form.

"Chris Redfield?" one of them said.

Chris grunted and turned around to face the two men, squinting against the sunlight in his eyes. He frowned, finally freeing himself from the contraption. He didn't like the looks of these two. They seemed to be important men from a higher authority; an authority that he had put behind him. He grunted, preparing his voice before he spoke.

"Yeah?" he said.

"We need to talk to you," the other man replied. "It's important that you speak with us in private."

Chris frowned. "What's this about?" he asked.

"There's been another incident … " the first man told him, softly. "I think you'd better find someplace to sit down for this."

O

Chris and the two men were sitting at a table in his hotel room; papers and folders scattered before them on the coffee table with data, satellite images, and photos of Atlantic City, and even various other papers containing information regarding terrorist activities. There was so much to take in.

"We're asking you to help us save the world again," the first man told him, voice almost a desperate plea. "We understand that you are retired and out of commission, but the government is willing to compensate for anything that you might need."

Chris scoffed and shook his head, leaning back on the bed and rolling his eyes at the familiar line. "Where have I heard this song before?" he said, voice carrying a hint of sarcasm to it, unintended. He waited a brief moment before he spoke again. "So … why me?"

"Not just you," the second man replied. "Kennedy and the other two BSAA members, Stone and Alomar will also be going onto the search with you."

The first man held out a hand to him, advising him to be easy on the retired man before he looked at Chris.

"As part of BSAA and a former member of S . T . A . R . S . , you are an expert in the use of all weapons and viruses needed for this mission." He pulled out a small envelope from inside of his jacket and opened it, taking out a small letter. "Of all the members of your unit, you were the most highly decorated with more experience and expertise."

"And what else?" Chris muttered, rolling his eyes.

The first man stared at him gravely. "And … you were the only one to successfully kill Albert Wesker."

Chris let the information sink in about the death of the tyrant of Umbrella. It seemed like only yesterday that he had left Africa after the death of Wesker and defeated him once and for all. Chris was still haunted by dreams and nightmares of his near death, and plagued with various consumption problems. So getting over it had not been very easy for him the past few years since it happened and hearing it again only made his stomach hurt.

"Have there been any patterns in the infected cities?" Chris finally asked, looking up at them. He wanted to take his mind off of the memory of Wesker. "And even so, have the terrorists made any demands?"

"None whatsoever," the first man told him. "We have an anonymous tip that suggests that this might be the work of a former Umbrella employee, a mastermind behind the sightings of these infected within the larger, more inhabited cities."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well, there have also been rumors about a Project known as G," the second man continued. "It's got something to do with the pattern, but we just don't know how it does yet."

Chris raised an inquiring brow. "Does G stand for something?"

The two me stared at one another, silent for a moment before the first man spoke, his voice grave. It astonished Chris. From the tone, he could tell that this was a serious problem.

"Genesis."

_Atlantic City_

Krauser gave the front door of "Bud's Weapon Shack" a wicked kick with one leg, breaking the door down clean off of its hinges. He looked around for any signs of the infected before the others could enter. Once he was sure that it was clear, he beckoned for them to come in.

There was a radio in the shop playing "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash. Jonas smiled and mimed playing a guitar with one hand.

"Hey ... I like this song." he said.

Wesker gestured to the rows of weaponry before them and indicated the others. "Alright, everyone, take what you can fit around you and move quickly," he told them. "We do not want to stay in one place for too long and risk drawing them to us."

"I hear you there." Jonas said.

Rose picked up a twin - barrel shotgun hanging on a rack above the desk. She studied it for a few seconds more before pumping it once. This was her weapon; one with a good bang to it.

Wesker armed himself with two handguns - being all that he would need - due to the fact that he could kill simply with both of his hands and even his feet. The simple infected were nothing to him, just undemanding mindless dolls.

"Alright," Kirk said, picking up an Assault Rifle and tossing it over his shoulder. "What's the plan then?"

While there was silence among them for several moments, Jonas finally spoke up and shrugged his shoulders, thinking very little of his plan and considering it to be just a mere whim of an idea. He didn't think anyone would take it all that seriously.

"Well, maybe we should check work first," he advised. "I mean; we have small samples of the viruses from investigations. Maybe something happened there that could have caused the Outbreak. Like a spill or … something."

The others glanced at each other before they rushed out of the shop as quick as they had come in. Jonas groaned, realizing his terrible mistake and quickly chased after them, tripping a few times over the overturned boxes.

"No. No, wait a minute!" he shouted. "That's a bad idea! Bad idea!" He heaved an impatient grumble and followed them toward the large, glass building up ahead. "Nobody ever listens to me, then when they do ... we're gonna die ... "

O

Wesker was the first into the building, followed by Krauser and then Rose and her two friends. They looked around at the disorder before them; papers were scattered everywhere, tables and chairs overturned, windows shattered, wires sparking and lights flickering in and out. Something had caused quite a bit of a mess before they arrived all in one night.

"I can bet you anything Jonas is right," Kirk said. "There must have been a spill that caused all of this."

Jonas chuckled nervously, casting his weapon all around him. "Yeah, the first time I'm actually right for a change and it turns out to be in a life and death situation that I don't wanna be in … "

Wesker didn't seem convinced. "Even so … " he murmured. "I've seen what spills are capable of. There's no way that … "

He quickly cut himself off as soon as something darted passed them behind a few book shelves. Krauser fired a few rounds from his AK - 47 before an indignant shout from behind the counter stopped him from continuing further.

"Son of a bitch!"

Rose's eyes instantly lit up and she grinned. "Beth!" she cried, happily.

Sure enough, Beth rose up from behind the counter with an angry grumble. She held up two hands to them with another growl.

"Guys!" she protested. "Don't shoot! I'm not bit!"

Krauser sighed heavily and lowered his weapon. Rose instantly rushed up to Beth and embraced her tightly, so relieved to see her in one piece.

"Oh Beth, I'm so glad you're alive!" Rose cried. She suddenly frowned and parted from her, staring at Beth in confusion. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Beth had a Magnum tightly in hand and she gestured around with the end of it. "I was coming here to check and see if this place was the cause of all of this." she told her. "And I wanted to see if you had come to work and became one of them."

"We were going to investigate the same matter," Wesker replied. "But when you called, Rose insisted that we come here to help you."

Beth's smile dropped and she looked confused. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked. "I didn't call you this morning."

They looked floored now. "What do you mean?" Wesker demanded. "You called Rose's cell phone and you were in danger. It was your voice."

Beth shook her head and held out two hands. "That can't be right!" she insisted, "I broke my phone on one of their heads when those things busted into my house!"

They looked at each other, confused and not to mention a little concerned about that idea right now. Who could have called them, then? Wesker looked at Beth with a sound in his throat.

"Wait a minute," he said. "If you didn't make the call, then who did?"

A low moaning sound filled the air and Krauser immediately tensed for combat. He pointed down the lengthy corridors.

"No time!" he shouted. "We got company!"

_Meanwhile_

It was a darkened room with minimal lighting and display screens of maps of the entire planet and major cities labeled. Several men remained seated in a circular table, darkened and shadowed from one another.

"Everything is going as planned," a much older voice crooned. "Phases 1 and 2 of the Genesis project have been successful."

"How do you know this plan of yours is going to cleanse mankind?" another, more worried voice snapped. "Sure it is successful, but what about those who will attempt to stop us?"

The older man chuckled softly. "Even if they defy what their God has started, who do they have to turn to? They have no one, but the very things that I control. Their world is dying and they cannot stop it." A brief pause. "Have faith, Mr. Senator. You have sufficient genetic material. You will not become the victim." A gentle, almost mocking laugh followed.

"What about the call you made?" another man asked. "They suspect something is up. What if they find where we are?"

There was a long pause from the older man. Finally he spoke, voice filled with menace and many other emotions.

"Let them come."

O

_Note_-Setting it up for more to come! I hope you like it thus far.


	11. Chapter 11: Wounded Warsong

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer: **For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Eleven: Wounded Warsong**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

Moans and wet gurgling sounds filled the air, mixed in over the cacophonous sounds of various firearms blasting round after round of shells and smoke. Bone snapped, tendons popped, and blood sprayed through the air as bullets contacted dead, rotting flesh. It seemed that the small group could not fall now.

"Wahoo!" Jonas hollered, laughing wildly. "Eat lead, you pasty - faced mother - fuckers! I am all that is man, bitches!"

Krauser grasped onto the thin pipelines running along the ceiling and swung his leg into a wicked kick maneuver, cracking a zombie in the face, snapping its neck back aggressively with the force. He landed on all fours, smirking at several more zombies that slowly began closing in on him. This was nothing. He could take them all on if he wanted to.

Just as two zombies moved silently behind Kirk while he was firing rounds at three others, Wesker suddenly appeared behind him, his fists slamming into the zombies' skulls, shattering the bone as if they were nothing at all.

Kirk looked down at the corpses, confused, and then back at him in surprise, shocked by the fact that Wesker had saved him at that moment the two zombies could have killed him.

"Do not think me a fool, Kirk," Wesker told him. "You are no good to me a dead man."

Kirk nodded once, frowning. He was still a little uneasy about the fact that Wesker had saved him and he could have been inches from killing him instead if he really wanted to do so.

After it seemed like the horde had finally stopped, everyone took a quick break to reload their weapons and investigate the area. Krauser slammed the heel of his foot into a zombie's head, just as it had started to twitch a little. He chuckled nastily at the twitching corpse.

"Stay dead," he sneered, pointing one finger.

"Man, I still don't get how this could all happen in just the process of a single day," Jonas said, shaking his head. "It ain't right."

"No … " Wesker replied, turning around the corner. " … and that's why we must figure out who is behind this as soon as possible." He ran his gloved fingertips over several bloody streaks down the wall. They almost looked like grooves from claws. "Whoever did this must have quite the connections, and they must also know the city from top to bottom to consider the ratio of the infection as well."

"Well, Chief was a dick, but he wouldn't do anything like this," Beth said, investigating a computer that had been overturned. "I can't really say that it would have been him. And even more, how could he have pulled something like this off?"

"That's something we … " Wesker trailed off and tilted his head, as if he had just heard something. He glanced down the long hallway, observing the slight trembling of the glass windows. Something was coming this way; something that sounded big. No, make that something _very_ big.

The others watched him with confusion, wondering what he was listening to. "What is it, Wesker?" Rose asked, sounding a little worried.

Wesker held out one hand, indicating that she should be quiet. He leaned forward and listened to whatever it was that he could hear; a slight trembling in the floor … a low roaring in the distance. His eyes went wide behind his glasses and he turned to the others, speaking calmly.

"We have to get out of here." he told them.

"What?" Krauser said, frowning. "Why?"

"What's the matter?" Kirk asked.

Wesker didn't want to stand around and answer stupid questions right now. He wanted to leave before things got a little more out of hand than he felt need be. He gave Rose a slight push and she stared at him in disbelief.

"Wesker, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Don't ask questions, let's just go!" Wesker shouted.

The group turned and ran back the way that they had come. They were almost to the front door, but the ground had begun to shake violently, nearly knocking them all off of their feet. They looked back and their eyes grew wide with startled cries of horror.

There was a large, muscled form on all fours running toward them from the long hallway, snarling and roaring like a beast from hell. From the distance, they could tell that its body had swelled to an anomalous size, tendons and muscle rippling inside its arms and legs. Its face was swollen, human-like, save for a single eye that was larger than the other. Thin, grey strands of human hair drooped from its head and arms.

There was a thin, barbed tail tucked neatly between its reptilian legs and it had a segmented spine filled with small, pulsing red sacs. There were bits of white cloth that dangled from its arms and chest. But its most prominent feature was the single, blinking eye on its back.

Everyone darted outside, just as it shoved its entire body through the double doors, sending glass shards flying everywhere and the group tumbling to the ground.

O

"What the hell is that thing?" Jonas shouted, watching the creature shove a car aside to get to them.

"It's … it's one of those G creature things!" Rose gasped. "It almost looks just like Chief!"

The creature's mouth opened and it roared at her, a shattering roar that made the very windows tremble around them. Rose glanced down at the threadbare cloth of the creature and her eyes went wide. There was a small name badge dangling ineffectually from the remains of what she guessed was once a lab coat. It read: FRANK HEAD.

So this had been Frank's fate during the chaos. He had become a horrible, mutated beast, just like Chief was. Rose wasn't sure how that had happened without even any injection, but she wasn't about to hang around and find out.

The G creature hurried toward Krauser and Wesker, snarling and raising its jagged claws into the air. Krauser easily ducked to the side while Wesker seized the creature's claws with both hands, keeping it back while it struggled to land a blow. He tightened his lips in concentration, but chuckled nonetheless.

"Tough little thing, aren't you?" he sneered.

Wesker's muscles flexed and his fingers tightened against the sickly flesh of the G creature. Slippery strands of drool splashed against his shoulder from its gaping jaws and he grimaced slightly.

Kirk came running and raised his handguns with Jonas at his side with a machine gun. They began to open fire on the G monster, sending a shower of bullets toward the massive thing. Random blood - spattered explosions appeared all around it as the bullets tore into its tough, fibrous body. The monster roared out in pain and turned attention to the two men, stampeding toward them like an angry Rhino.

"Fucking go down you ugly shit!" Kirk bellowed.

It was chaos as the small group attempted to take down the G creature before it could take them out. It swung its claws, knocking Krauser to the ground, but he jumped back to his feet and drew back his metal fist, punching the creature hard in the jaw in a wicked uppercut.

A small, nearly human grunt escaped the G creature's jaws before it reached back, yanking a street sign up from the ground with one clawed hand. It tore the sign off with the other, leaving a sharp point that was leveled menacingly at the ex - militant.

Krauser smirked and jumped up, dodging each swing of the sharp post as it whizzed through the air. While it was distracted with him, Wesker ran up the length of the G creature's back and shoved his fist into its shoulder through bone and flesh, drawing a shrill scream of pain from it. Its tail swung from side to side and it dropped the post to the ground, sending Wesker flying in the process.

"Wesker!" Rose shouted, rushing at his side, taking no notice to the fact that the G creature had hear the cry from the woman and had suddenly turned sharply in their direction. "Are you alright?"

He nodded and chuckled at her concern, amused by the pointlessness of it. She was such a selfless human being. "I've taken worse than this, Rose." he reminded her. "I'm fine. We're going to take care of this thing and get out of here before ... "

Suddenly, his eyes snapped wide behind his glasses and his mouth parted in a silent gasp of horror. Just before he could warn Rose about the impending doom behind her …

… Rose's eyes snapped wide and her entire body suddenly stiffened in pain. She instantly felt warmth pooling from her stomach and filling mouth; every single nerve in her system sent electric anguish shooting through to her brain. Somewhere across the parking lot, she could hear a roar and the sound of Kirk screaming.

"_ROSE!"_

Wesker watched, stunned as Rose's shuddering form was lifted into the air, feet dangling uselessly. She gasped in pain and stared down at the black protuberance through her abdomen. The G creature's tail had punctured cleanly through her stomach, forming a wicked pool of blood that soaked into her clothes and dripped onto the concrete.

"Let her go!" Kirk screamed, rushing up to the creature and firing round after round from his handguns.

The G creature flung Rose aside like refuse, barb disengaging and sending her tumbling across the concrete until she was still. A fresh barb slid out from inside of a fold of scales and formed on the end of the creature's tail. It charged for the others to possibly perform the same approach onto them as well.

Wesker hurried at Rose's side and Kirk was soon there as well.

"Rose!" Kirk cried. "Oh God!"

Wesker looked Rose up and down. "It's hard to say if it's punctured anything vital," he said. "Still ... it doesn't look good ... "

Rose's entire body was trembling with pain and blood was gushing from the corners of her mouth. Her hands shook above the barb wedged in her body and her eyes prickled with tears and blood.

"Ahh … " she gasped. "It … it hurts … "

Wesker furrowed his brow and looked out toward Krauser; the man had seized the sign post and jammed it deep into the G creature's beefy arm, pinning it to the ground. Wesker took that chance and scooped Rose up into his arms.

"We need to get her home," he told Kirk. "We don't have much time. She's going to loose too much blood if we stay here and linger about playing with this creature."

Beth rushed up and was starting to cry, her hands shaking with hysterics. "Oh God, Rose!" she moaned. "I'm sorry! I wasn't able to - - "

Rose struggled to breathe and spoke through a splatter of blood that gushed from her mouth. "It's not your fault … " she hissed.

Wesker looked at her sharply, baring his teeth at her. "There's no time for that!" he snapped. "We have to hurry back to her home if we want her to live!"

Krauser hurried over to Wesker, panting and gesturing over his shoulder with one hand. "That's got his ass pinned down, but it won't hold him forever!" he said, referring to the pinned G creature. "We gotta go, like right now!"

The group hurried down the street to the Rose's van and quickly climbed in. Wesker carried Rose in his arms and carefully placed her into the back seat. Krauser took the driver's seat and looked back furiously at the others, after being unable to find the keys immediately.

"Who's got the damn keys?" he shouted.

Kirk tossed them to him and the sound of the G creature's almost triumphant roar told them that it was nearly free. Krauser quickly started the van and pulled away, just as the creature came barreling around the corner after them.

"Shit, he's getting closer!" Jonas cried, glancing at the side windows.

Krauser glanced into the rearview mirror, spotting it getting closer and closer. He grunted with frustration and turned sharply another corner, passing a sign that read: CITY LIMITS.

"We gotta take care of this shit right now, man!" Beth said, peering out of the window of the passenger side. She took a hold of Kirk's Assault Rifle before he could protest and spotted a gas tanker just up ahead. She smirked at Krauser. "Go for it!"

He understood and chuckled. "One big bang coming right up!" he said, gunning the engine.

The van blasted forward and Beth leaned out of the window with the weapon, smirking as the G creature drew closer and closer to the tanker and near the point for Beth to make her move. It jumped onto it and that was when she squeezed the trigger and fired.

The bullet punctured the tanker and sent it up into a ball of flames and debris. The resulting blast nearly tossed everyone in the van, just as they crossed the bridge of the city, passing a sign that read: YOU ARE NOW LEAVING ATLANTIC CITY. PLEASE COME AGAIN!

"WOW!" Beth shouted, with glee. "What a bang!" She let loose a glorious war whoop and quickly ducked back inside the van.

"Let's get home now!" Kirk said.

O

Wesker hurried quickly down into the lab, carrying a gasping, bleeding Rose in his arms. He placed her onto the metal table and looked over at Kirk. The man looked desperate and worried for her. Good. He could be of some use then.

"Alright, now get around her and hold her down." They had to take the barb out of her now before infection would set in.

"Oh Rose, I'm so sorry … " Kirk whispered, petting the side of her face.

She smiled weakly at him and struggled to speak. "I … I don't blame you … " she insisted, through a mouthful of blood.

Beth stood at her other side and shushed her, evidence of fresh tears still there in her eyes. "Rose, don't try to speak!" she begged, quietly.

Rose blinked weakly when Wesker's hand held her in place. "Wha ... what are you ... ?" she began, voice barely audible. Her eyes went wide when she realized what they were going to do.

Kirk touched the barb with one cautious hand and Rose nearly screamed right there from the stabbing pain from just that simple touch alone. Tears stung her eyes and she shook her head desperately. "Please don't do that." she begged, voice trembling with the pain.

"I know. I'm sorry. I know it hurts … " Kirk said, softly, sorrow-stricken about having to do this to someone he cared for.

"Rose, it has to come out now." Wesker told her, as if speaking to a child, "It'll hurt for a few seconds but you're just going to have to deal with that for now. I have nothing else to offer you to help."

"No … No … No!" Rose begged.

Rose moaned in agony and clutched Wesker's arm in a weakened attempt to stave him off of her, but he simply held both of her arms down in one hand and gave a single, brief nod to Kirk.

Kirk bit his lip and grasped the barb tightly, looking down at a desperate, weakened Rose, wishing that he didn't have to do this to her. She was shaking her head at him and whining loudly, preparing herself and psyching up for the pain to come.

"Okay, one … two … three." he said.

After three, Kirk yanked the barb out of Rose in one swift tug, drawing a shrill, blood-curdling scream of pain from her lips. Her body arched off of the table and her feet kicked out wildly in her pain.

Wesker released Rose and looked at Kirk sternly. "Leave us." he ordered. "If I am to save her, I have to begin before she loses every drop of blood."

Kirk stared at him in protest, but anything was fine with him as long as it saved Rose and stopped her physical pain. He fled the room and as soon as he was out of audible range, Wesker clasped Rose's chin almost roughly and forced her to look into his glowing red eyes. His thumb brushed aside a single tear, almost in a comforting gesture, but it was hard for her to tell.

He watched her shaking face, her rapid breathing and her fluttering eyelashes before he spoke.

"You don't have much time to live, Rose," he said, softly. "I can save you with a simple shot. I can make you whole again, stronger and faster than what you ever were. But I cannot choose for you. You alone must decide your fate."

Rose's eyes filled with tears of agony and she stared at him pleadingly. "I … I … " she tried. Her eyes squeezed shut when Wesker's gloved hand pressed into her bleeding stomach wound and held it out to her, showing her the crimson stained glove.

"You're dying, Rose," Wesker said. "The pain is severe, I'm sure. You're going to go into shock very soon. So tell me right here and now. Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"

Rose whimpered with pain and looked up at him. She locked eyes with him for a few moments before her vision began to blur and her words fading into painful gasps. It hurt to breathe and every movement she made stung every nerve in her body. She held out a shaking hand to him, clutching his leather coat tightly.

"I want … to … live."

Wesker smiled at her and nodded, visibly pleased with her answer. He turned to a cooler and opened it, taking out a strange vial of reddish liquid. He held it out to her and chuckled, gathering a syringe from the countertop. Rose could barely see what he was doing and her world began to fade.

"As you wish." he finally said.

Meanwhile, Kirk was sitting at the kitchen table, worried and giving an occasional glance over at the open laboratory door, wondering just what it was that Wesker was really up to down there. Krauser walked in just in time to see his expression and chuckled.

"Ah, relax," he told him. "Wesker knows what he's doing. Rose is going to be fine." He glanced back at the windows and doors. "But we should probably think about barricading this house up before those things start moving in."

Jonas nodded in agreement. He was leaning against the refrigerator with a look of dismay. "He's right, Kirk," he replied. "We don't want any of those things popping in and doing any more damage." He opened one of the cupboards and took out a bag of chips to eat.

Beth shook her head, standing by the window with a pained, tormented expression on her face. She seemed upset about the situation with her friend and blamed herself for being unable to help her. Guilt was etched all over her face.

"I should have done something!" she groaned. "What kind of friend am I? She came to save me and I couldn't save her!"

Jonas walked passed her and sat down into a loveseat.

Kirk looked over at her sadly. "None of us could, Beth."

Beth glared over at Jonas, who was starting to eat his bag of potato chips. The sound was beginning to get annoying and even worse, he was eating at a time like this. She angrily smacked them out of his hands and he stared down at the mess, and then up at her in protest.

"Hey!" he snapped. "What gives?"

Beth gestured angrily to the laboratory door, her nose inches from his. "Our best friend and leader is down there and all you can think about is stuffing your fat face?" she shouted. "Rose is hurt! She might be dying!"

Jonas looked at her indignantly, irked by the fact that she could assume such a thing to him. He DID care about Rose and her condition. Food was just his only means of comfort in a time like this. "It's the only way I know how to handle a situation like this, Beth!" he shouted back. "You KNOW that!"

Krauser smirked sidelong at Kirk. "Are these two lovebirds always like this?"

Kirk shook his head with dismay at their fighting, and then turned as Rose suddenly let out a shrill scream from below.

O

Kirk rushed into the room with Beth and the others and they gasped at what they saw before them. Wesker was pouring something that looked to be a yellowing fluid in Rose's wound as she kicked and screamed beneath him, her naked back bare before him. He was holding her down easily with just one hand, but it was beginning to become an effort as the task at hand was not to do harm to her.

"What are you doing to her?" Kirk shouted angrily.

Wesker looked up at them and yelled over Rose's screaming. "Hold her down! Or let her die, your choice."

Beth shook her head in anguish, but nonetheless, she came to Rose's side and watched as her friend looked up at her with features pinched in agony. It was pitiful and made her heart wrench at the sight. Kirk came at Rose's left and held down her shoulders. Krauser took her legs and Jonas her arms.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Rose wailed.

"What are you … ?" Kirk began, watching as Wesker dug into the wound with two of his fingers.

After a brief moment of struggle, Wesker removed a small bit of blackened barb and tossed it into the sink. He looked at Kirk and spoke softer as Rose's cries diminished into whimpering gasps.

"Her body's fighting it." he told him. "But she's going to be fine."

They stared at him, confused. "Fighting what?" Beth demanded. She noticed the empty, discarded syringe across the floor and her eyes grew wide. She glared at Wesker now with near hysteria. "What the hell did you shoot her with?"

"Never mind that now!" Wesker snapped, watching as Rose began to slip into a state of unconsciousness. He spoke gently now and his words were neither kind nor cruel. "I saved her life, so be grateful for that!" He removed his blood - covered gloves and placed them into the sink as well. "She's going to sleep for a while after this."

Kirk stared down at Rose, watching her eyes close. He gently touched her sweat-damped forehead and then gave Wesker a cold look.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded. "Tell me now!"

Jonas was also curious. "Yeah!" he insisted. "I mean, it's good you saved her life and all, but you got a catch to this or something?"

Wesker tilted his head at him for a moment before he spoke, smiling now. "Nothing she didn't want," he replied. "You'll know what exactly what I mean once she wakes."

But they were not entirely sure that they wanted to know exactly. Wesker looked awfully satisfied for saving another, which was unlike him.

All they knew they had to do now was wait.

O

_Note_-Stay tuned all of you happy folks!


	12. Chapter 12: Uncertain Feeling

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twelve: Uncertain Feeling**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

Rose was laying on the couch, covered with Wesker's long, leather jacket and her eyes were closed. She looked to be dreaming, her brow was slightly knotted with deep concentration and lips twitching every one in a while. Soft moans occasionally escaped her lips and her skin seemed rather sickly and white, lightly glittering with beads of sweat.

Kirk watched her carefully the entire time, hoping that whatever Wesker had done, she would be better now. She had been sleeping soundly, stirring somewhat and she also seemed rather restless. Before Kirk could continue with his own individual thoughts, Beth walked in with a cup of hot chocolate for him. He smiled and took it when she offered.

"Here, drink something," she told him, smiling.

"Thanks." he told her. He took a sip and coughed somewhat due to the heat of the drink before he looked up at Beth. "Where are Krauser and Jonas? Are they getting into any trouble?"

Beth scoffed, rolling her eyes. She pulled up a chair beside him and sat down. "They're up on the roof taking shots at the things outside that get too close to the house." she told him.

"Well that doesn't sound so bad," Kirk said, shrugging. He prepared to take another sip of his drink.

"They're making a game out of it!" Beth snapped, giving him a sideways look.

Kirk blinked in surprise and shook his head, almost dribbling hot chocolate down the length of his chin which he wiped off with one finger. Well, better have them doing the job that way than not doing the job at all and risking their lives. He looked toward Rose again and his features turned grim, thoughtful and concerned. Beth saw that look in his eyes and she chuckled, shaking her head. The man never missed a beat.

"Kirk, stop it."

He looked at her now, startled, straightening up and looking around in shock. "What?" he asked, in a surprised gasp.

Beth smiled up at him teasingly from the tops of her eyes. "Just stop it."

He suddenly knew what she was thinking and he sighed impatiently, placing his cup of hot chocolate onto the lamp table, folding his arms across his chest. He was embarrassed, but not as much as how much he felt for Rose.

"I can think about her if I want to," he said, quietly, leaning back in his chair.

Beth nodded, amused and she shifted in her chair. "Yeah, sure you can," she told him, watching him bristle slightly where he sat. "But you know what Rose told you the very first day you wanted to ask her out and time and time again after that." She mimicked Rose's voice and made hand gestures. "'You and I are just friends, Kirk Matthews'."

Kirk gave her an irritated look and snorted through his nostrils. "You really need to stop hovering in the parking lots at night, Beth," he told her. "Especially when Rose is out on a date. You're not her bodyguard or anything." When she glared at him, he forced a smile. "There's nothing wrong with that, but there has to be limits somewhere."

Beth pointed a stern finger at him. "Hey, the world's greatest creeps come out in the parking lot at night. And Rose is my girl, so I'm willing to stick up for her whenever I can."

Kirk softened and he smiled tenderly at that. That's just how things were and what he was used to from Beth, her casual attitude and her fierce loyalty to the Bedford woman. He couldn't argue with her. "Yeah, I know." He looked to Rose as soft, exhalations echoed out of her. "I just hope she's going to be alright. Whatever Wesker did to her … "

Rose moved a little in her sleep, moaning softly, a small terrified sound that slowly turned into a whine. Her fingers twitched somewhat and her brow knotted in concentration.

_It hurts. Everything hurts. _

_Why does it feel like I'm burning? Am I burning? Oh shit, I'm fucking burning. I'm on fire and I can't even see it! That's it. I'm dying! I'm dying and I can't even see it coming!_

Rose couldn't feel her heart. It felt like the more that she tried to reach for it; the further away it slipped into the darkness. When she tried to breathe, it felt like little ashes fluttered about inside her lungs.

_It feels like I'm dying … Am I really dead? _

She couldn't be dead, she felt too…alive in some strange way. There was burning heat flowing through her arms and legs. It felt so hot, like she had taken her hand to a burning flame. But the heat was everywhere and she couldn't shake it off. Her blood felt like it was rushing faster than anything she had ever felt before in her life. It was like going on a caffeine buzz, an unstoppable caffeine buzz.

_Can't move …_

And then she could hear voices. Wesker's and Kirk's verbal exchange in the back void of her mind. Their voices were so clear, so rich, that Rose couldn't believe it for herself. She could hear everything and more that sound had to offer. She heard every breath of words, every change in the air textures, every single manner in which their words passed through their lips.

"Rose's heart is beating stronger than anything I have ever seen before," Wesker was saying, which sounded as if he were speaking loudly into a cave. "She is going to be a strong one … A very strong one."

Kirk sounded angry. "A strong what exactly?" A pause. "Why won't you tell me what you did to her?"

"You'll find out." There was a moment's pause. "Tell me, Kirk, will you still have feelings for her after you find out?"

"What?"

Wesker chuckled softly. "That's what I thought."

Rose couldn't believe what they were talking about. She couldn't move, but she wanted to smash Wesker in the face for talking about that kind of thing in a situation like this. It was hardly constructive and was going to make her friends feel even worse than what they needed to feel.

"Rose is going to wake soon," Wesker said. Rose could hear a smile in his voice and wondered just what it was he was so damn happy about. "And then, we will worry about that."

_Jamaica_

Chris was hurrying and gathering his things to prepare for his investigation and his trip, not wanting to take any chances should his family find out. But of course, he couldn't count on that as soon as the door creaked open. Jill walked into the room and frowned at him. She sensed a little distress in his actions and she spoke with pain in her voice.

"You don't have to do this, Chris," she told him. "Let the BSAA handle it."

"Guess Barry spread the word, didn't he?" Chris sounded annoyed. Barry still couldn't keep secrets, no matter how great the risk was in someone finding out about them. He sounded angry even though he didn't really mean it. "Christ, he never knows when to keep his mouth shut sometimes."

She knotted her brow at the curt response and her voice dropped to a whisper. "And what about our boys, Chris?"

Chris stopped what he was doing and stared at her skeptically. "Now what would my sons think of their dad if I just let this happen to their world all over again?" he said, sternly.

Jill thought about that for a moment and stood there for several long moments before she finally moved to the closet and began to gather her things as well. Chris watched her and frowned. She wasn't going with him too, was she?

"What are you doing, Jill?" he asked, almost annoyed.

"I'm going with you." she answered, walking across the room to retrieve her gun and holster from the dresser drawers.

Chris looked startled, straightening up. "What?"

"Chris, we're in this together," Jill said, smiling back at him. "We're partners, remember?" She added then, tenderly, the words carrying a heavy weight to them, "Until the very end."

Chris stared at her for a few moments before he returned the smile and nodded once.

"Alright then." he murmured.

After everything was packed and ready for the BSAA members to depart in helicopter, Barry and the children bid them farewell.

"You have nothing to worry about, you two!" Barry shouted, over the roar of the helicopter blades. "Your boys are safe with me!"

Chris and Jill quickly said their goodbyes and the helicopter whirred to life. Barry and the two boys stepped back as the rotor blades whipped their clothes and hair wildly. Chris watched as they began to fade away as the vehicle lifted high into the sky. His two boys began to play a prank on Barry and he chased them back to the hotel.

Chris hoped that everything would go well and that he could see his sons again.

O

On the roof of Rose's house, Krauser and Jonas were laughing as they took puck shots at the zombies that drew too close to Rose's house. Given the severity of the situation, they still took light in it as if it were a simple game and nothing more. Jonas took a big gulp of his can of beer sitting on the arm of a lawn chair that he had set up before he raised his rifle in hand and took a shot that missed, whirring passed a zombie's head.

"Shit, reload!" he said, laughing.

Krauser scoffed and shook his head. "Fuck that!" He held out his machine gun and sent a death shower down upon the zombies below, laughing as he did, "YOU LIKE THAT?" he hollered, down to them. "HUH? BULLETS TASTE LIKE CHICKEN, DON'T THEY?"

Jonas' eyes suddenly grew wide in his head at the zombie horde below, just as Krauser had finally stopped firing long enough for him to speak. "Holy Shit!" he cried.

Krauser looked at him quickly, preparing to reload his weapon. "What?"

"Look at the size of that one!" Jonas pointed down the horde to a very large, heavyset zombie coming up over the hillside, roaring loudly. It had once been a woman with blood running down her face and legs. One of her arms was drooping in a grotesque display to the side with remnants of a bite mark that had nearly taken it off the bone.

Krauser sputtered with laughter, clicking the weapon's Mag into place. "Good God, it's zombie Willy!" he cried, cackling and raising his gun. "Let's send this bitch back to sea!"

Jonas counted the ammunition while Krauser shot down the zombie, listening to the dying shriek of it. He sighed impatiently and rolled his eyes at the lacking of shells. It wasn't going to end well if they kept it up at this rate. They had to conserve what they could if they would eventually have to escape.

"We have 24 of these big ass shotgun shells, 33 of these super pussified 9 - mils, and 16 of those . 357 magnums," he said, scoffing in between his words, "IF we keep this up, we MIGHT survive by tomorrow with out limbs."

"So I guess we should hurry this up then, huh?" Krauser said.

The two laughed at that just as Beth climbed up onto the roof and she shook her head at their antics, hands going to her hips. "Amid this crazy shit, it's good to see you two taking everything so seriously."

Krauser just smirked at her words and kept his attention focused on shooting the dead that would step too close. "It's male bonding time, lady," he told her, "You just gotta go with it." He squeezed the trigger and another shot went off.

Jonas gave her a hopeful look and immediately placed his weapon down onto the lawn chair. "How is she doing down there?"

Beth sighed and took a spot beside him. "Well … we won't know until she wakes up," she replied. "So we just have to wait until then. Wesker won't do anything else until she's up and about."

Jonas flashed a toothy grin and his voice was absolutely teasing as he picked up his can of beer with one hand. "Oh! Sounds like someone's got a crush!" he said, in a singsong voice.

Beth laughed and elbowed him in the ribs. "That guy?" she laughed. "Yeah right! Not like Kirk does!"

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Jonas agreed, still snickering.

Below them, Wesker was watching Rose, sitting across from her with a thoughtful expression and his hands wrung together close to his face. It was taking too long for her to heal this. She was still not changed yet and waking from her sleep. How much further he'd have to wait was beyond him and he hated the thought of waiting any more.

A heavy hand on his shoulder suddenly interrupted his thoughts. His lips tightened coldly and he fought the urge to shatter the skull of the person who owned the hand.

"I don't like being touched." he said, in a warning tone.

Kirk scowled down at him, his voice frigid. "Oh believe me I do not like touching you," he snapped. "But I do know this. You will stay away from Rose, do you understand me?"

Wesker removed his glasses and gave him a cocky smile, his eyes brightening somewhat as if he took that threat in stride. "Well, that's hardly your decision to make, Kirk."

"I don't care what you say or do to me; kill me if you feel froggy enough," Kirk said, defiantly, watching Wesker rise and size him up. "Rose will never be yours. I know you want her for some devious little scheme, but it won't work!"

Wesker smiled at him, oddly calm in his next words and even a bit mocking. "Well, I suppose we will just have to see what Rose decides, then, won't we?"

The fact that Wesker was suddenly talking respectfully about Rose, and actually defending her choice on the matter only made Kirk suspect more foul play than ever. All of a sudden, his whole attitude changed now that he had "saved" her life. Something was up and Kirk had a feeling that he was not going to like the outcome.

_Dream_

_Rose walked solemnly down the hallways of her private school, listening to the cold and cruel whispers that echoed all around her. Although she was intelligent enough to consider these things trivial and useless to her, that still didn't stop them from continuing. _

_Before she knew it, she was hurtled into the lockers and beaten by several fists and kicks from people she didn't even know. Half the time, it was a hit and run situation with them. They would beat her up, laugh and walk away. _

_But Rose didn't mind all of this. After all, she had a loving father to go home to. This was just a part of life, no matter how badly it hurt and how angry she would get after the beatings. _

_Even during her study hall when she would just relax beneath a tree on a beautiful summer day, she would get hit in a "drive by" incident. But this day was completely different. When she was struck by a rock hurtling her way, another voice piped up. _

"_Hey!" came a shout. "Leave her alone!" _

_Rose rubbed her sore cheek and looked up in surprise. There was a younger girl kicking one of the boys who had tossed the rock at her. She was feisty in her actions, punching and spitting on them. _

_Rose glanced up in surprise as the girl came rushing over. She smiled sweetly at her and sat down at her side, scooping up Rose's backpack and taking care to clean it with her coat sleeve. Rose stared at her cautiously, confused by her kind gesture._

"_Hi, I'm Beth Underwood!" the girl greeted. "You must be the new girl!" _

_Rose shook her head. "N - No. I've been here for a while."_

_Beth smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry." She held out the bag to Rose. "I saw the way those idiots picked on you. If you need anybody to take care of 'em, I got your back!"_

_Rose smiled slightly and finally got the courage to tell her her name. "I'm Rose Bedford."_

_And from then on, Beth always had Rose's back. If she was picked last in basketball, Beth would menacingly stare everyone down until Rose was picked. And if she was pushed out of her spot in the lunch line, the lunch ladies would have to break up a fight that would start with food and trays. _

_Beth wasn't a bad student, she was just protective and great friends with Rose from then on out. She was intelligent and did not take a single bit of crap from anyone. She took care of Rose like she was her own sister. _

_And what could she have done without Beth Underwood? She would have probably been beaten like that for the rest of her life. Beth gave her courage. She put a little piece of herself into Rose. She owed her more than her life. _

Sweet dreams are made of this  
Who am I to disagree?  
Travel the world and the seven seas  
Everybody's looking for something  
Some of them want to use you  
Some of them want to get used by you  
Some of them want to abuse you  
Some of them want to be abused

Sweet dreams are made of this  
Who am I to disagree?  
Travel the world and the seven seas  
Everybody's looking for something  
Some of them want to use you  
Some of them want to get used by you  
Some of them want to abuse you  
Some of them want to be abused

_The dream escalated into a fiery realm of snarls and hisses. Rose was lying in the center of the monstrous hell, naked, her body straining against another male figure. Flesh against flesh and lips connecting; it was passionate, erotic. Her legs wrapped around the man's muscular waist and her fingers snaked through hair that was now obviously blonde. _

_Rose blinked and stared at her dream lover, horror and shock on her features. She was embracing Wesker. His reddish eyes were half-lidded and glowing with lust. His teeth bared themselves into a hungry smile. _

"_Rose … This is so good," he crooned, caressing her face. "He can never know you as I know you ... He can never touch you as I touch you."_

_Rose stared down at him, nails digging into the soft, warm flesh of his shoulders. She squeezed her eyes shut at the soft sighing sound from him. _

"_This isn't real." she whispered, her voice strained with passion and fear. _

_Wesker chuckled softly and rubbed his hand up and down against her exposed back, across her shoulders and against her neck. The touch was slow, teasing, ghosting over her flesh like gentle butterfly wings. She instinctively drew herself inward against the touch, a quick gasp escaping her._

"_Can you feel my hands touching you ... are they real?" he purred. "Can you feel my lips on your own," He demonstrated each gesture, kissing her delicately against her lips, "my loins?" He pushed his hips against hers, drawing a startled sound from her. _

_Rose felt the fire drawing closer and closer, pulling itself deep inside of her, entering her brain and swallowing all of her fears and pain. _

"_You want this, Rose," Wesker continued. "You want to leave all of this behind and be with me. It's what you want. I can feel your desire ... "_

_Rose moaned softly, shuddering against him as his lips wove arousing paths down her neck and in between her breasts. She clung to him desperately, fighting the urge to submit to him and defy him all at once._

"_Do it, Rose." he whispered, against her ear. "Do it."_

Back into reality, Kirk was slowly getting excited. Rose was moaning softly, shifting and getting ready to wake any second. He cupped his mouth, calling for the others to hurry to see.

"Guys!" he hollered. "Rose is getting up!"

It only took a second for everyone to gather around the couch where Rose was. She shifted, moaned a few more times before her fingers jerked and her legs twitched. Wesker smiled and leaned over her.

"Rose?" he said. "Can you hear me?"

Rose grunted and blinked. Her eyes slowly opened and she focused her bleary vision on everyone looking down at her. As soon as she did, they reacted visibly with horror, stepping back with shock.

O

_Note_—This is Marilyn Manson's "Sweet Dreams". It's a creepy one! But I like it.


	13. Chapter 13: New

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirteen: New**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

It was strange, but Rose felt different when she awoke from her deep slumber. When she gazed across the room, she found that she could _see_ everything that lay in her path. She could watch dust particles dance wildly in between Jonas' shifting feet, the rainbow dancing between the lighting in the lamp, the strange patterns in the paint of her ceiling. Everything was so much clearer than before; crystal and defined.

Her nostrils picked up a scent of blood, burning metal, and the strange fragrance of decaying flesh. Odd, though that none of these things were able to be seen before her. After a few moments, she considered this and realized that it was the highway smells that she was scenting. It was amazing to have this ability that she had never dreamed to have before.

Wesker was watching her with a strange grin on his face. It was an unusual gesture for him since he rarely ever smiled that much. She figured that it all must have turned out well in the end; the fight with the G creature, at least.

"Rose?" he said.

She frowned at him and blinked a little, rubbing the back of her neck with one shaking hand. It felt a bit stiff, but that didn't surprise her. She must have been out for a while. When she glanced at the others, they warily backed away on reflex. Not because of the fact that she _wasn't _the enemy. It was a defensive gesture, one that she didn't catch immediately due to the fact she still felt groggy.

"How …?" Jonas gasped, starting to question.

Wesker flashed him a stern, aggravated look. "Hush." he ordered. He gave Rose a calming smile and offered a hand to her. It was difficult to judge whether or not he was being mocking or helpful. "How are you feeling right now, Rose?"

She grunted and placed her feet onto the ground, struggling to find some kind of balance to her steps in her rubbery stance. "Huh … I'm a little dizzy … " she admitted. "My head hurts like hell. But other than that, I feel fine."

"That's wonderful!" Wesker said. "Tell me, do you recall anything whatsoever?"

Not that Rose was completely focused on that right now; she remembered bloody clothes, excruciating pain through her entire body, followed by fire. It was just burning hot fire that coursed through her body like molten liquid. Even in her waking world, she could still feel its remaining burn coursing through her veins. It would take a while before she'd forget it.

"N - No … " Rose murmured, displeasure ringing out of her voice. "Nothing much right now … " She paused and looked at the others with a bright smile, not catching their looks and the reason behind them just yet. "Is everyone alright?"

Kirk was breathless with horror. "_What_ … did you do to her?"

Beth looked at him, eyes wide. She couldn't believe what he had just said.

Wesker sharply flashed him a cold glare, a threatening sound rising from his mouth. Rose looked confused at the question, not to mention a twinge upset by his abhorred tone of voice. She couldn't figure out why he sounded the way he did or what relevance it had on her. She looked at Wesker in confusion and then back to Kirk.

"What are you talking about, Kirk?" she said, "I feel fine! I don't know what he did but he saved my life. And I feel … well … " She thought about it now and truthfully, she felt better than fine. She felt a little energetic and spirited and in a strange way, she felt as if she could sprint wildly around the house 40 times in a row right now if not for the zombies outside at the moment. "I feel more than fine, actually."

Krauser broke the tense silence and rubbed the back of his neck, gesturing to his own face with one circular motion of his finger. "Uh, I think maybe you need to look in the mirror, kid."

Rose cocked her head in disbelief, her eyes searching each and ever worried face in front of her. She had been near death for what felt like quite a while and they were worried about something as silly as her appearance? Did she look that rough from her near encounter with Death itself? What did it matter right now? And even so, why did they look so worried?

"Why?" she asked.

"I think maybe Jack's right," Jonas said, uneasily. He was having trouble meeting her eyes and he shifted uneasily in his place. "I think you need to see it for yourself."

Rose gave an irritated hum before she slowly staggered to her feet, finding some strength back after being on her back for a day or so. She didn't even know how long it had been, but either way, her legs still felt a little bit shaky and rubbery. She slowly moved down the hallway to the bathroom on the first floor.

"This is stupid!" she called, after them. "There's nothing wrong with me! You're all being crazy!"

Once her voice faded and the sound of a bathroom door slamming filled the air, Beth gave Kirk a fierce punch in the arm. He cried out and stared at her in protest, rubbing his sore limb.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

Beth snarled at him. "Have you completely taken leave to what little sense you have?" she shouted. "What the hell is the matter with you anyway? You got a split in that brain case of yours?" She gestured to her own head, and then pointed in Rose's direction. "What kind of person says something like that to a woman who wakes up from being out cold? I mean who _does _that?"

"Apparently, Kirk does," Jonas murmured, chuckling.

Suddenly, the loud sound of glass shattering in the next room caused all heads to look up in its direction. A sharp scream followed and the bathroom door flew open. Rose came storming out, snarling and hands tight fists at her sides.

"WHO DID THIS TO ME?" she shouted. Wesker opened his mouth to speak and she glared at him. "AS IF I HAD TO ASK!"

Wesker wanted to tell her that he found the new eyes were an improvement. Personally, he thought she looked lovelier like this, blood - red eyes glowing with hatred and fury and other emotions that were hurled toward him. He also expected this as well and knew just how to goad her.

"You've condemned me to the life of a half - breed, monster freak show!" Rose screamed, too pissed off to really care about what she was saying right at the moment. "Do you really think that _this_ was what I wanted? TO BE LIKE YOU?"

"Ouch … " Jonas whispered, sidelong to Krauser.

Wesker scoffed and rolled his eyes. He sensed Krauser and the others stepping slowly away from him. They had good instinct, he gave them that. Even he knew this would get a little physical.

"Please, don't be so dramatic, Rose," Wesker told her. "Take a look at the bigger picture. I've saved your wretched excuse for a life and made you into something stronger and better. Don't whimper about a gift that you've been given!"

That did it. Snarling like a beast unleashed, Rose seized him by his leathery shirt and hiked him several inches off of the floor. She didn't even think about the strength that she now possessed at the moment. She wanted to kick the shit out of him right now.

Instead of getting angry, Wesker actually started laughing! That pissed Rose off even more and she hurtled Wesker into the wall, cracking the plaster and leaving a massive human dent into it. Jonas gasped in horror and surprise.

"That's more like it! Anger! Fury!" Wesker shouted with glee, "You've become stronger than I thought! I knew that it would turn out like this!"

Jonas held out two hands and slowly stepped in between them. "Rose! Rose, calm down, okay?" he stammered. "It's gonna get real uncomfortable for all parties involved if we have to end up tackling you to the floor, okay? Relax!"

Rose released Wesker after a long moment and suddenly shrieked, shoving her fist through the wall nearest his head. He didn't flinch, but just continued to smile that smarmy little grin at her. Rose stared down at her own fist in disbelief and turned, running up the stairs to her bedroom.

Jonas was silent for a moment before he spoke, haunted. "Well, all in all, it's good to have Rose back," he said. "I think she took it rather well."

Wesker slowly looked at him, scoffing.

O

Rose stared at the strange-eyed alien in the glass mirror of her bathroom. She blinked and the woman in the glass did the same. Rose squeezed her eyes shut; hoping that when she opened them, she would wake up and all of this would just be a very bad dream. For God's sake, she lifted a grown man with ease! She wasn't human anymore. She was a monster.

"Um … Rose?"

Beth.

She jumped with a soft yelping sound, knocking several objects to the floor. She bent to pick them up and then hurried to the door and opened it. Beth was standing there with Jonas. They smiled at her and there was a hint of wariness to it.

"Rose, are you okay?" Beth said, concerned.

Rose nodded and stepped out of the bathroom, head hung. "Y - Yeah … " she mumbled. After a moment, she shook her head and fresh tears filled her eyes. "No … I'm … I'm not okay!"

Beth stared at her sorrowfully and put her arms around her. Rose felt a brief tremble in her best friend's frame, but she couldn't blame her. After all, Rose would be afraid of her too.

Jonas smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Um, it's probably a bad time to be pointing this out but ... I'm just gonna go out and say it," he told Rose. "I think you look real hot with red eyes." He held out two hands when the two women looked at him in surprise. "I'm just gonna throw that out there! I think she does. It's kind of a good look … In a weird way."

Rose hid her laugh behind the back of her hand and Beth rolled her eyes. "Jonas!" she protested.

"You think so?" Rose asked, giving Jonas a reluctant smile.

He laughed and nodded. "Hey, Jonas Burton never lies when it comes to the ladies!" he told her, giving her a wink to follow.

Rose felt a little hope for the future with her friends. Maybe it was just something that required getting used to, for all of them. It couldn't be as bad as they were making it out to be.

Jonas suddenly leaned in and whispered to her now. "Between you and me, that was _so _cool what you did to Wesker," he whispered. "I mean, I'm geeking out about it right now!"

"Jonas, if you have time for gossip, you have time for guard duty!" Wesker suddenly called up from the bottom of the stairs.

Jonas heaved a groan and Beth grinned at him. "You asked for that."

Rose giggled softly and looked at Beth after Jonas sulked off, her tone changing. "Beth…um…are you afraid now that I'm like him?"

Beth heaved a loud laugh. "Are you kidding?" she joked. "I'm afraid of no one!" She softened and chuckled, patting Rose's shoulder. "Rose, you're still my best friend and that's all that matters to me. You know that I will always be there for you." She shrugged one shoulder. "I mean, this is just a little bridge to cross like any other bridge. We'll get over it."

Rose brightened somewhat. Finally, she tilted her head and focused on more important matters. Like, who was behind the outbreak and how it had happened in less than one night. She wondered if they figured anything out yet while she had been out. It was probably for a few days, but she wasn't too sure.

"Did Wesker figure all of this out yet?" Rose asked. "Have any of you figured _anything _out since I was unconscious?"

Beth shook her head sadly. "No. We've got nothing."

Rose sighed impatiently. That was never a good thing. If there was not even a subtle hint as to how all if this happened, then what they were dealing with was far stronger and far more intelligent than even Umbrella.

O

Rose prepared to leap through the air while Wesker sat down and watched her. She performed a perfect leap and landed on the ceiling. He watched her with amusement and chuckled.

"Good job, Rose," he told her. "Soon, you will have it under perfect control."

Rose smiled with delight, dangling her hands out in front of her. "I have to admit; this is … kinda cool!" she exclaimed, not noticing the pain on Kirk's face as he watched from a distance. "I didn't know that you could do stuff like this!"

Wesker grinned and nodded. "So you see?" he told her. "There is a plus to this!" He paused for a moment. "Now, are you willing to cooperate with me and learn all that is needed to learn with this blessing? Or are you going to persist in your act of defiance and continue attempting to my body as a battering ram?"

Rose didn't answer that. Instead she arched her back like a cat, ready to make another lunge. But she underestimated her abilities and tumbled through the air, collecting a few chairs and painting in her path as she crashed to the ground.

Wesker winced sharply at the sound and then laughed as Rose emerged from behind the furniture, covered in bits of pottery, a small cut on her cheekbone. It slowly closed and regenerated entirely, leaving no trace of its existence.

"Wow, that was kind of fun!" Rose exclaimed, delighted. "As a human, I was never able to walk on the ceiling befpre!"

Wesker smiled and shook his head. She had such naivety and much to learn.

Rose suddenly stood up and grimaced. "Huh. I'm kind of hungry," she said. "I think I'll get us something in the kitchen."

Wesker nodded. "Well, now that your metabolism equally matches my own, you should be able to eat as much as you want and maintain a perfect shape."

Rose stared at him in surprise for a moment before she blasted into the kitchen like a bullet. Kirk followed behind her and when he walked in, he noticed that she was starting to devour an entire loaf of bread. He grimaced in disgust.

"Rose … what the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

She stared at him with a strange grin that Kirk had never seen before in his friend. "Kirk, it's every woman's dream to eat as much as she wants and stay thin!" she gasped. through mouthfuls of bread, "I have that ability now!"

Kirk stared at her in anguish. "What's happening to you?"

A familiar warmth crossed Rose's features and she glanced down at her own hands on the bread before she looked at him sorrowfully. She had nearly forgotten who she was in the midst of her own hunger.

"Kirk, I'm sorry, I just … " she said, softly. "I didn't mean to worry you; I was just getting overwhelmed by how much that I can do now. I didn't think I'd like this at first at all, but I can do so much! I can protect you guys when he's not around!"

Kirk shrugged his shoulders and his voice sounded weak, grave. "What then?" he asked. "What about me? I can't … I mean, I'm not sure I can deal with this, Rose. I don't know … "

Rose's smile slowly drained from her face and she stared at him in doubt and frustration. It sounded much to her that he loathed her now that she was no longer under human status and even so … superior to him. For a moment, she blinked, keeping her tears at bay, finding her voice. Her eyes flashed a deeper shade of red before she spoke.

"And just what are you telling me, exactly?" she demanded. "Do you think this was my choice? That I wanted to be this? Wesker saved my life and I owe that much to him! Why can't you just be happy for me?"

That didn't sound like Rose talking. Usually, she was never selfish in her words. It sounded like she was really getting upset.

"Rose, he's changed you," Kirk told her, gently, almost regretting his very words at the sight of her anguish. "You're not the same anymore."

O

Wesker was going through some maps and schematics of the house with Beth, Krauser, and Jonas, paying no mind to what was going on in the kitchen. A friendly dispute, that's all that it could have been at that moment. He had other concerns; concerns regarding how they would avoid any further contact with the infected.

"We would have to leave this house as quickly as possible," Wesker told them. "It's no longer safe and the outbreak is sure to reach the US government. They will take matters into their own hands when it comes to containing the virus."

Krauser uttered a scoff. "Great, we're dead meat now."

Beth and Jonas knew that viral containment solutions often meant eradication, complete sanitation through nuclear missile means. And being 20 minutes out of the city did not automatically guarantee a safe distance from the blast.

"What do we do?" Beth asked. "Where do we go?"

Wesker's lips pulled up in a faint smile. "Do not underestimate the power of cunning manipulation, Miss Underwood." he assured her.

Krauser just chuckled at that, knowing full well what he meant.

_Meanwhile_

A BSAA helicopter hovered just overhead of Atlantic City. The pilot noticed several moving forms of zombies below and his eyes grew wide in his head. For a brief instant, fear caused his hands to tremble against the controls. The trembling stopped as soon as Chris walked over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"When we land, get out as fast as you can," Chris told him. "Notify the BSAA and tell them that backup might be necessary."

The pilot nodded his head. "Affirmative."

The helicopter landed at the pier and Chris and Jill jumped out. As soon as they did, the flying vehicle quickly returned to the skies, rustling their hair and clothing as it departed. Chris and Jill watched it go before they turned attention to the zombies before them. They smiled at each other.

"Just like old times, eh?" Chris said.

Jill chuckled and nodded. "Just like old times … "

The two hurried into the city, taking down zombies that attempted to grab them or trip them to the ground. They headed for the biggest building: Rose's place of business. They had heard of the research that had taken place there.

"What are we looking for, Chris?" Jill asked, as they ran.

He wasn't too sure himself. "I don't know yet … " he replied. "But one thing's for sure. We have to get answers

O_  
_

_Note_—A more…happy chapter. Yay me! Stay teeeewwwwned! This is planned to be a lengthy story with substance, so don't worry.


	14. Chapter 14: Barely Gripping Reality

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Fourteen: Barely Gripping Reality**

_Atlantic City, New Jersey_

CRASH!

The sound reached Wesker and the others and they hurried into the kitchen, where Kirk had backed himself up into a corner, eyes wide in disbelief and hands raised against an impending threat. Rose was moving toward him, her back hunched and her head clutched tightly in between her hands. A thin trail of spittle dangled from her chin and small moans rumbled from her.

The air was heavy with his fear and his smell, as far as Wesker could notice. There was something else as well; an animal rage that he had been familiar with in his time experiencing Tyrants face - on.

"What's going on in here?" Jonas gasped.

Kirk held out a trembling finger and pointed directly to Rose. "She attacked me!" he cried, nearly hysterical in his voice, "She tried to attack me!"

"Say what now?" Krauser didn't sound all too convinced about that.

Wesker looked over at Rose and furrowed his brow at the scene playing out before him. Either he didn't believe Kirk, or he was trying to figure out the numbers in his head. He took a step forward and cocked his head at Rose's trembling form.

"Rose, what is it?" he asked.

Rose's eyes flew open and they were a bright, blood - thirsty red, the tiny slits narrowed in the center. She was gritting her teeth and slowly slumped to the floor; low, haunting moaning sounds escaping her. Kirk was shoved roughly aside as Wesker moved to her aid, kneeling in front of her on one knee. He caught the worried looks of her friends and shook his head.

_It's not good to have them constantly at worry …_ he thought. _They will only make things difficult later and I cannot afford any hesitation._

"This virus derived from my own is still very young, a child breathing its very first, you realize," he explained to them. "Certain little things are going to set it off during the earlier stages of its development. That's why I wanted to teach her the importance of keeping it under control before something like this _did _happen and she hurt herself or others unnecessarily."

"Things?" Krauser said.

Wesker nodded and looked back down at Rose. "Yes. It could be anything, really. The hyper sensitive metabolism could slip out of her control should she be confronted with anger, frustration, and even the mild intimidation of any verbal threat." He smiled somewhat. "One of many reasons why I find it best to purge human emotion to avoid such trivial matters."

That was enough for Beth to point a finger in Kirk's direction and equally accuse him of saying something or doing something to have set her friend off. She glared at him and brought her face inches from his in a rather menacing position.

"What did you say to her now?" she demanded, nearly shouting.

"ME?" Kirk shouted, eyes bugging out so suddenly. "She was the one who attacked _me_! She could have killed me!" He sounded terrified, sorrow - stricken, and furious, hot tears prickling the corners of his eyes. "Why are you yelling at me?"

"BECAUSE YOU LOOK AWFULLY GUILTY RIGHT NOW!"

Wesker gave them a look. "Hush!" he ordered. He looked down at Rose, watched the frightened, animal grimace on her face. She was looking around wildly, nostrils flaring, breath coming out from between her teeth in short, rapid gasps; he slowly raised his hands to brush hers from her head. He cradled her face gently and brought it up to meet his gaze.

"Rose … I want you to find my voice," he told her, in a strangely soothing tone. "Don't be afraid of what's happening to you. We'll slow this down together if we must."

The others watched the connection between the two, not sure whether to be surprised or confused. If it helped Rose find herself again, they would not make any attempt to interfere. Kirk just stayed silent as he watched, rubbing his arm and sniffling through his dampened nose.

"W - Wesker … it … hurts … " Rose struggled to find her voice and her sanity. Her eyes wandered around the room wildly, as if she couldn't see anything in front of her. "It … why does it hurt … ?"

All she could see were the shapes of her friends meandering and melting like a thick globule mass of sentient blobs. She could hear Wesker, but he sounded so far away and everything was hurting. Her head felt like someone was pounding on it with a jackhammer. Why was it hurting again? He said it would end … Why was it happening again?

"Rose, don't focus on the pain," Wesker encouraged, "Focus on my voice and don't let it go. Hold onto that and hold tightly. Keep hold of your reality. Don't let the virus control you. You control it! You are its master and its leader." He could see into those flaring red eyes, watched the raw horror and pain cross her features. "Hold onto my voice, Rose!"

Rose's shaking hands reached up to seize his wrists tightly; she held him so tightly, the nails began to dig deep into his flesh, piercing the leathery texture of his gloves. Fresh, red blood began to ooze from the tiny wounds, but Wesker barely even flinched from the inflictions. His gaze still kept itself locked onto her eyes, unflinching and intense.

_Meanwhile_

Jill and Chris hurried down the streets, a horde of zombies hot on their tail. Chris was looking around for a place to take cover. He spotted a suitable place; a grocery corner store just up ahead.

"Jill, to that store!" he shouted.

"I'm on it!"

She quickly hurried, following him into the general store before she was inches from her own demise. They hurriedly slammed the doors shut behind them and instantaneously rushed to block the door by pushing a metal shelf in front of it. The sounds of zombies outside as they attempted to get into the shop was nearly deafening. Jill and Chris took a few steps back.

"Chris to HQ, there were more of them than we thought," Chris said, through his headset. "This whole town's gone to hell, we need backup."

"_Roger that. Stay sharp out there, Chris. The mission still stands_." Came the automatic reply from a man Chris didn't recognize.

"How do they expect us to continue in these conditions?" Chris groused, furious, "It's insane. We're going to be killed out there!"

"Kind of reminds you of our time at S . T . A . R . S . , huh?" Jill murmured, quietly.

Chris made a sound that was neither amused nor serious.

Jill cocked her head at the sound of steps around the rows of shelves. Besides "Hell" by Squirrel Nut Zippers playing on a radio in the distance, there was some one or something else in the shop with them. She gestured quietly for Chris to follow her as her held up at the ready. They slowly approached the corner of the shelves and jumped out.

It wasn't a zombie of any kind but rather instead was a shaking, filthy man with a handgun leveled at their heads. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days and he was wearing a business suit that was covered in blood and dirty.

"This is my spot!" he hissed, "Get your own!"

Jill looked a little pissed. "Hey! We're not going anywhere," she said, "There are hundreds of those things out there."

"That's not my damn problem!" the man snarled, "This is my spot!"

Jill took a step forward, an attempt to subdue the man with a non - violent intimidating action. "There's plenty of room for all of us in here, you know."

"I don't give a damn if 40 anorexic women could fit in here!" the man raged, nearly screaming.

If he kept that up, they would be heard by the creatures outside and this verbal exchange would not make any bit of difference then.

Chris decided on a more subtle approach to prevent an unnecessary quarrel. "Look, do you have any idea what's happened here?" he asked. "Who got hold of the T-Virus and let it out?"

The man chuckled angrily, hand still shaking as he pointed the gun to both of them back and forth, watching them carefully. "What's going on?" he snapped, repeating Chris with sarcasm in his own voice. "Hell, how should I fucking know what's going on?" He chuckled again, breath trembling and voice broken. "I was out last night and there was a damn bright light in the sky, okay? All I know it that when I woke up the next morning, my damn wife tries to eat me!"

That was the strangest thing Jill and Chris had ever heard; the part about the light anyway. The undead sightings were nothing that they hadn't been used to already, to say the least. They looked at each other skeptically, thinking about that before they looked back to him.

"A bright light?" Jill said, "What kind of bright light?"

The man scowled angrily at her, eyes widening to near insanity. He shot spit from his lips and flicks of snot from his nose as he shrieked at her. "What other fucking light could it be?" he nearly screamed.

Chris held out two hands reassuringly. "Okay, look, take it easy;" he told the man, gently. "We just need answers, that's all. We're with the BSAA and we want to figure this out just as much as you do. So we don't want any trouble. All we want to do is help you and anyone else that we can, alright?"

The man's eyes began to fill and he moaned in anguish, dropping himself against an ice cream cooler. "I don't know!" he sobbed, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "I don't know!"

Jill looked at Chris. "Okay, he definitely needs our help," she told him. "We have to get back to HQ to take him in for questioning. He won't survive out here in his state."

Chris nodded and glanced down at his wrist watch. "Sure thing," he replied. "But we don't even know when they're going to be here. We just have to hold up here until we get our next orders."

A sudden scratching sound halted all three of them in their places. The sobbing man sniffled, stopped and glanced up toward a ventilation shaft posted just over his head. Something big moved behind the vented plate, a low hissing filling the air.

"What's that sound?" Chris whispered, eyes wandering over to Jill.

Suddenly, the plate flew cleanly off from the screws holding it into place and a thick, wet tentacle shot out of the vent, moving downward, circling the man's throat tightly. He screamed and gagged, his hands releasing their grip on his weapon just as Jill and Chris rushed over to help him.

"What the hell?" Jill cried, horrified.

The two looked up as they played tug-of-war with the poor man in an attempt to free him from whatever it was that had him in their clutches, looking into rows of dagger-like teeth and a fleshy pink brain jutting out from a pinkish, sloth - like head. It was snarling and swiping down with its claws for its prey.

"HELP MEEEE!" the man screamed, through chokes and gags. His face began to turn purple.

Chris aimed his pistol over the man's head and attempted to shoot at the monstrosity that was known as the Licker, attempting to free the poor man from its deadly grip. A bullet struck the Licker's shoulder and the beast let out an unholy scream, but refused to release its prey. Fresh blood oozed out of its shoulder wound and dripped onto their faces.

"Fucking shoot it!" Jill screamed, at Chris.

One final tug and the screaming man was sharply yanked from the two BSAA fighter's grips. They collapsed to the floor from the force and looked back up to the vent, listening to the screams as they faded into choking gurgles and soon, died into nothing.

"Shit!" Chris cried.

The rough, satisfied sounds of the creature feeding on meat spurred the two back outside, hurrying as fast as they could before it could return for a second helping of them both.

"What did he mean by, strange light?" Jill gasped, through heavy breaths as they ran.

Chris thought about that for a brief moment. A strange light could have meant anything; a flying vehicle, a passing satellite. But it began to make him question just what was hovering over this city before it went to zombie hell. It had to have been someone in the black market business to be able to do something of such a great magnitude.

"I don't know, but I think that our best bet right now would be to investigate the research center first!" Chris told her, "then maybe we'll have something on this terrorist attack."

Jill shook her head and stared at him sadly. "Why do I have the feeling that this wasn't a terrorist attack?" she mumbled, softly.

Chris caught that and glanced over at her thoughtfully. He had a sick feeling in his stomach that she may have been right.

O

"We're going to have to leave … "

Beth turned to Wesker in disbelief as soon as the words left his lips. "Yeah and where are we supposed to go, Wesker?" she snapped. "It's a nice idea as is, but we have to think of how we're going to get to where you want us to go and…"

Rose was in the bathroom doing something that they could not see and she called back out to them. "My dad has a working RV in the garage!" she hollered back to them.

Wesker smiled smugly at Beth, satisfied with that response. "Ah, now do you see?" he said. "It will all work out perfectly in our favor. Umbrella had several; bunkers stationed all across the country. There are a few bases that I know of that have been untouched even after all this time."

"It's true," Krauser added, standing along the wall and watching the windows carefully with his weapon tightly in his arms, "I remember one located at the Hoover Dam during one of my missions working for that government shit - stain, Kennedy."

Wesker turned and walked into the bathroom to see what the woman was doing, looming over Rose as she pulled back her eyelids. He heaved a sigh and shook his head impatiently. They didn't have time for her to worry about her eyes right now.

"Rose, what are you doing?" he asked, curtly.

She blinked and tilted her head. "Is there any way I can eighty - six the eyes, Wesker?" she said. "I don't want to scare anybody." Wesker started to speak and she held up a single finger without looking back at him. "And I'm not wearing sunglasses at 7:00 at night!"

Wesker cocked his head with a low, impatient rumble in his throat. He leaned over her, his head close to her ear and he picked up her reading glasses in one hand. He gave her a smile that suggested that he was up to serious trouble.

"Tell me, Rose," he said. "Do you own contacts by any chance?"

Rose shrugged and nodded. "Well, yeah, I have them ... but I don't really like to wear them that much because they tend to irritate my - "

There was a low snapping sound and her eyes grew wide. Wesker had snapped her glasses cleanly in half with the end of his thumb. He discarded the pieces into the trash can and smirked.

"Oh. Look at that. Now you do." he told her.

Rose stared at them both in the mirror, her mouth gaped in shock. He chuckled softly at her and she grunted in disbelief. "You broke my glasses!" she protested.

Wesker shrugged one shoulder. "You threw me into a wall."

Rose pursed her lips with irritation and turned around to face him. "Look, Wesker … " she began.

Wesker held up one hand, gesturing for her to keep quiet for a moment. She stared at him curiously as he smiled at her and this time, there was nothing mocking about it. Instead, he held out one gloved hand to her.

"Shall we?" he said.

Ah, he meant to practice some fighting styles with him. What a way to get him to avoid a fight with her. He felt that it was a more constructive way to ease her frustrations and learn all at the same time.

"Sure," she said, turning to go, "But don't think I wouldn't pass up the chance to toss you into the wall again if you ever piss me off."

He chortled. "Gracious, Rose," he murmured, snarky, "What an enchanted world you live in ... "

The two went to the roof and began to practice proper Martial Artist kicks and punches. It would have been easy for Rose if she hadn't been kicked in the face several times from his demonstrations and his only excuse was that he had to show her 'the real deal'. Wesker took it slow at first, showing her how to execute her moves properly. He only gave her one chance, so she had to learn quickly.

"Slow. Attack slow," he instructed, pulling her wrist into an appropriate punching posture. "Attack. Slow." He sighed and shook his head impatiently, moving behind her and placing both hands on her waist to adjust her stance. When he was sure she was in the proper stance, he smiled. "Now … attack."

Rose lunged at him in a flurry of kicks and punches, each in which he blocked with everything that he had. She swung her leg up to strike his head and he easily wrapped one arm around her ankle, responding to her flabbergasted expression with a sly smirk of his own before he wrapped his opposite arm around her wrist as well, twisting and sending her spinning through the air. She landed with a dull thud and a sharp cry and he smiled down at her.

"Good," he told her. "Now, time for a drink."

The two walked over to a set of chairs where Wesker picked up a bottle of red wine. He opened the cork with ease and poured himself a glass. He offered some to her, but instead, she took the entire bottle and began to chug most of its contents down. Wesker stared at her, brows raised.

"What?" Rose said, licking her lips. "You think that just because I am a lady, I can't handle my alcohol?"

"No. I'm not entirely surprised, actually." Wesker murmured.

Kirk was coming up the stairs to view the two on the roof. He sat down and listened in on what they were saying. It wasn't right to eavesdrop, but he couldn't resist the urge, especially after hearing what Jonas and Beth had joked about the other day.

"Hey, Wesker," Rose said. "May I ask a question?"

"I suppose so." Wesker replied, taking a drink.

"Why did you make me like you?" Rose asked. "I mean I'm grateful that you saved me and all, but why did you bother to do it? You don't like me that much. You never have since the day we met."

Wesker glanced at her skeptically from behind his glasses. She always had to find a deeper meaning to a simple way of him repaying her for saving his life. That was how human beings were, particularly women. "Who told you that?" he asked. "Because I tend to teach you your place quite often that means that I do not like you? Those emotions are for weak little fools who spend most of their time weeping when they could be solving the problem at the same time."

Rose smirked. "Why can't you just answer my question?"

Wesker exhaled with irritation and placed his empty glass down at his side. "Rose, consider it payment for you pulling me up onto the ship and bringing me back to life, regardless of intentions or not. So just be grateful for that."

He was dodging the question it seemed. Rose smiled and tilted her head back with a soft chuckle. Wesker glared at her now.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

Rose laughed softly and waved him off, pretending like she hadn't even laughed at all. "Nothing." she said.

Wesker was getting annoyed at her and it clearly showed through a tightening of his lips. It was getting bothersome. He hated having himself being the butt of amusement and not have himself understand what the reason for it was. He showed his teeth at her.

"Rose … " he warned.

She just laughed harder at the warning sound, holding her nose with one hand. "Heh, I guess I understand now!" she joked, giving him a teasing punch on his shoulder.

He slowly stared down at the place where she had punched him and then back up at her with a soft grimace of intolerance. Apparently, he didn't share her sense of humor.

Kirk slowly sank back down the steps, avoiding being seen as the two got up to enter the house.

O

"Right, I'm leaving."

As soon as Kirk said that, everyone stared at him like he was insane. He was standing by the front door, slowly taking the barricades down.

"What?" Krauser snapped. "Are you nuts, man?"

Kirk continued to take the barricades apart, listening to the deafening sounds of moaning outside. He seemed determined to get away, no longer willing to watch the woman he loved fall for another man; if that was very much the case. He didn't care if he lived or died; this was too much for him.

"I'm not staying here," Kirk told them. "I'm going to run for it."

Beth shook her head in disbelief. "Kirk, don't go out there, it's suicide."

Jonas simply smiled and shrugged. He really didn't share the concern of the others; Kirk never liked him and vice - versa. "I think you should go."

Kirk stopped what he was doing and looked at them all. He grunted and shook his head, reaching for the shotgun and gesturing to the front doors. "We can all go out there together and make a run for it," he told them. "We can defend ourselves."

Rose stared at him angrily. "What do you mean 'we'?" she demanded.

Kirk stared back at her, equally pissed. "What the hell do you mean, Rose?" he snapped. "You and Wesker both are the same now, right?" There was a bitter laugh in his words that suggested more to them. "Since the two of you are so so great together, it shouldn't be too damn hard. You can take all of them down with a simple punch and kick!"

Rose blinked, letting that simmer before her eyes grew wide and she laughed in shock and anger. That's what all of this was about. His jealousy and bitterness toward Wesker because he believed that there was something going on. He really was crazier than she thought.

"Oh my God … You gotta be kidding me." she said, in a stunned whisper. "Is that what this is all about?" She gave Jonas a sideways glance. "Oh my God, Jonas please just shoot me in the head, will you? Please. For my sake and my sanity."

Jonas paused for a moment before he spoke, meekly. "Wesker will get pissed … "

Kirk scoffed and rolled his eyes, throwing his hands in the air. "Don't play the innocent victim here, Rose!" he nearly shouted, "You've spent the entire time with us being the biggest tease, and the cruelest woman there's ever been!"

Beth held up a hand. "Whoa!" she snapped. "Now I don't know what's up your butt, but you'd better get it out right now before I get angry."

"Maybe you had better calm down before someone gets hurt." Wesker suggested, with a cruel sneer.

"Shut up! Just shut up, you asshole!" Kirk shouted. "You've been nothing but a walking plague since the day we picked you out of the water!"

Rose took a step forward. "So are you saying that ... that our friendship was all just for nothing?" she demanded. "Is that what you're saying to me right now, Kirk? That because I didn't _get_ with you, I'm supposed to be a cruel person?"

That faltered Kirk somewhat. Truly, now that he had heard it, she made him sound like a complete asshole. Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't, but a small part of him felt that this wasn't entirely fair on her. He paused for a long time before he spoke, attempting to fix it.

"Rose, listen I … " Kirk began.

Suddenly, the glass of the windows around Kirk shattered and hand shot through, seizing him tightly. Everyone jumped with shock and horror. Krauser immediately hurried to seize his weapon while the others rushed over to help Kirk out.

"No!" Kirk screamed, smacking at them to get them to go and save themselves. "No! No!"

"Goddamn it!" Rose shouted, struggling for all her worth.

Kirk winced and shrieked as several ravenous, bleeding mouths latched onto his body, tearing chunks of flesh and bone. Bits of blood sprayed the faces of those who tried to help him.

"Oh my God!" Beth wailed.

Krauser held up his machine gun. "Get down!" he ordered.

The two women ducked as a shower of bullets ripped through the air, tearing into the skulls of the zombies, splattering brain matter and blood all over the walls and floor. Krauser rushed up and delivered a wicked punch to the head of a still, twitching zombie.

Kirk's body collapsed to the floor, twitching and spasming, bleeding from the bites and blood pouring out of his mouth. After a few moments of choking and gasping, he smirked at the others and waved them off with a single hand.

"Get to the garage!" he gurgled.

"Kirk!" Rose cried, desperately.

He flashed a bloody, weak smile. "Sorry I couldn't be a better man for ya', Rose … " he groaned. "So maybe I can be a … better dead one for you then." The zombies were pouring into the window and he snarled painfully at them. "GO!"

They hurried to the garage, Krauser dragging a screaming Rose and leaving Wesker standing there. He chuckled softly and held out a small device to the man at his last breath. Kirk took it and Wesker gave a small nod, indicating that he had understood what this was. There was a small red button at the end of it.

"It took some time. Erasing evidence was the only means of preventing others to know of what transpired here …" he told the dying man. "Do it."

Kirk grinned weakly. "You bastard … !" he hissed, just as Wesker rushed out. He watched as the zombies poured over him and he held up the device. "Come and get me, you fuckers!"

And with that, he pressed the button.

O

The entire Bedford home erupted into a ball of flaming debris. The resulting blast sent the others through the air with loud yells. Rose cushioned Beth's and Jonas' fall by throwing her body out in front of them and hitting the grass. Wesker landed gracefully onto two feet and Krauser tumbled through the air with a yelp.

"Son of a bitch!" Krauser gasped, glancing over his shoulder at the fire. "What the hell was that?"

Rose glanced back at her home, burning to the ground. Tears filled her eyes at the loss of that and her friend. Even though Kirk had said terrible things to her, he had still been her dear friend nonetheless.

The explosion was seen far out by Chris and Jill as they were standing over the corpse of the G beast that had once been Frank Head. Jill gave the creature a swift kick to its thick midsection before she even noticed the smoke in the distance.

"Chris!" she gasped, pointing.

Chris nodded. "They may be survivors out there, let's go!" He took off first, spotting a Jeep at the side of the street. He hurried into it, spotting the keys still in the ignition. Jill jumped in at his side and they drove off toward the smoke.

Pulling up to the smoking house, Jill and Chris noticed the flaming bodies of the zombies lumbering around them, looking for the people that had escaped. Jill's eyes grew wide in horror.

"Oh my God … " she gasped. "I think we were too late."

Chris shook his head, but his lips parted and his eyes slowly grew wide once he spotted a figure standing at the side of the debris. There was a man in black, glasses gleaming menacingly in the iridescent fire and blonde hair practically glowing; standing there with a smirk.

Jill and Chris watched him with breathless gasps. "No … " Chris moaned.

Wesker grinned at him, eyes glowing red behind those lenses. He raised a brow and gave him a quick, mocking salute before an RV blasted passed him and he jumped onto it, clinging to the railing as the vehicle shattered the fence surrounding the former house.

The two were stunned, watching as it drove away into the streets.

"It … it can't be … " Jill cried. "That can't be him!"

Chris' whole world nearly spun with pain. His throat closed up and his head felt like it weighed a ton. His hands shook against the steering wheel and he slowly looked at Jill, eyes haunted and widened.

"We need to make a call … !" he finally managed.

_What ravages of spirit  
Conjured this temptuous rage  
Created you a monster  
Broken by the rules of love  
And fate has led you through it  
You do what you have to do  
And fate has led you through it  
You do what you have to do ...  
And I have the sense to recognize that  
I don't know how to let you go  
Every moment marked  
With apparitions of your soul  
I'm ever swiftly moving  
Trying to escape this desire  
The yearning to be near you  
I do what I have to do_

Rose shut her eyes and covered them with one hand, soft sniffling sounds escaping her as the RV continued down the dark, empty streets. To where, she wasn't sure. But right now, she didn't even care.

O

_Note_-Well, it's been done. Chris and Wesker have seen each other once more. All that and more very soon! This sad, yet beautiful song is "Do What You Have to Do" by Sarah McLachlan. Ahhh, I hope this didn't seem rushed to you. Did it seem rushed to you? I hope it didn't.


	15. Chapter 15: A Disturbing Peace

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Fifteen: A Disturbing Peace**

_New Jersey_

The RV was pulled over at the side of the road and Rose hurried out of the thing, rushing toward a patch of grass and bowing herself over to throw up. The others watched her and then glanced at each other, unsure of what to do or say that could help her now. Really, there was nothing that they could say to make her feel better at this second. All they could do was let her throw up any shame or sorrow that was boiling up inside of her right now.

"Jonas, maybe you should go out and see if she's alright," Krauser suggested, with a gesture of his head. "I mean, we can't afford to stay on this road for too much longer."

Jonas stared at him meekly, not really jumping at the idea of potentially upsetting Rose off even more than she already was. "I can't go out there. She's upset right now, man. She might hurt me."

"Don't be such a woman!" Krauser snapped, in a hushed whisper.

Jonas made an angry, hushed sound as well. "Get off my back!" he whispered, lowly, "You wouldn't wanna piss her off, would you?"

"I think that the both of you are pussies, you know that?" Beth snapped, voice lowered.

Wesker watched Rose from another window, shaking his head with pity at the scene she was creating; to bare witness to weakness from a spitfire such as Rose Bedford was almost pathetic and somewhat disappointing. Her anger was often the solution to her ill feelings and he felt that he could deal with that a little more than a drama scene. Why he put up with her was beyond even him.

"Rose, get in here," he called, cupping the side of his mouth with one hand. "Stop that crying now. What's done is done. You cannot change what he decided to do."

Beth had to agree with him. "He's right, Rose," she said, watching Rose as she stood up from her kneeling position. "We need to get off of this road now. It's too dangerous to just sit here."

"Come on, Rose." Krauser encouraged.

Rose wiped some remnants of vomit from the side of her chin and smacked her lips, grimacing at the bitter taste that it left in her mouth. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and looked up to the RV at the watchers.

"So … what do we do now?" she finally asked.

_Meanwhile_

_BSAA Headquarters_

It was chaos that morning at the BSAA American Branch Headquarters. There were secretaries answering various questions from a frantic group of civilians that were being contained inside a glass holding cell. They were beating on the glass desperately with two hands, trying to get their questions answered and figure out why they were there in the first place. They were obviously not infected.

"Why won't you tell us anything?" an older woman protested, in the back.

"I need to get home!" a man cried, his voice muffled beneath the glass.

Under a barrage of questions from her own agents, Sheva was hurrying down the corridor to find the branch leader. Josh Stone was at her side, trying to keep several people away from her with quick and powerful pushes. It was a job unto itself to do just that and a hell of an exercise at best. He gave swift curses at them, orders to back off.

"CNN is running a story that we're covering up some kind of nuclear testing experiments ... " Josh told her. "I don't know how much longer we can keep this contained. If it spreads any further, than it will all be over and we'll have a mess on our hands."

Sheva shook her head, determination on her face. "Tell them to run with it if they want to, but the truth will still get out at the rate this thing is spreading! People are going to learn one way or another."

She pushed her way into the meeting room where their branch leader was going over the situation with various other BSAA staff members. The branch leader was Jason Eisenhorne; a much older man dressed in suitable BSAA uniform with rough, aged features. His eyes were a dull, almost empty brown and a scar lined the left side of his cheek. His fingers working madly with papers and faxes. He lifted his head once she entered the room and his lips creased, making his scar stick out worse against his face.

"NASA has been up my butt all morning!" he snapped, throwing the papers down, "They want to know our position!" He scowled furiously, stamping each word out as he tossed paper after paper onto the table and let them flutter to the floor. "So does Russia ... So does France ... Italy ... China ... Oh! Even Iran is interested! So is every other goddamn COUNTRY in this fucking world!"

Sheva frowned at him, watching as he leaned against the table and loosened up his collar a bit. She waited before she spoke. "NASA?" she said. "What could they possibly want with the BSAA right now?"

Jason shook his head and wiped his forehead with one hand. "Every single survivor we've picked up has claimed that they had seen a strange light in the sky before the outbreak hit!" he told her. "We believe there might be a satellite of some kind hovering over all of us that could have caused all of this goddamn mess!"

Sheva and Josh thought that what he just said was the strangest thing in the entire world right now. How could a satellite have caused all of this? The programming alone to spread the T-virus through technological means could take many, many years as far as they knew.

"A satellite?" Josh said. "What proof have you had of this theory?"

Jason gestured to the thin screen over his head. At this gesture, the screen changed to reveal NASA digital imagery of what seemed to be a floating object out into space. There were solar panels on each side and metal parts shining against the glow of the sun. So sure enough, this was a satellite.

"Russia's denying any evidence of another satellite launch on their part," Jason explained. "No other country is claiming that this is theirs and there's no evidence to hold any of them accountable. So it stands to reason that there is some on the outside doing all of this; pulling the strings, I should say."

Sheva's eyes widened slightly. "You think that terrorists own that satellite?" The idea seemed ridiculous, yet not impossible.

Josh gave her a quick glance before he looked at his leader. "Why not just shoot it down?" he suggested.

Jason shook his head, brow furrowed and gaze locked onto the screen. He paid no mind to a BSAA soldier answering a phone call at his side. Even if they could shoot it down, all evidence of who was behind this would go up in smoke, not to mention the threat of debris raining back down to earth.

"Well, with the little information that we _do_ have in our hands right now, the only thing that would accomplish is turn one dangerous falling object into many." Jason explained. "And if we somehow manage to destroy it, there's the chance of the terrorist becoming a bit … displeased with that. He may have something worse in mind for all of us."

Sheva held out her hands in protest. "But you don't know for sure!"

"Sheva, phone call for you," the BSAA soldier said, cupping the end of the phone and looking at the woman. "He says that it's urgent."

Sheva cocked her head giving Jason another stern look before she took the phone, bringing it to her ear. If course it would be urgent. Every phone call that she had received was urgent. "Hello?"

It was Chris. Jill and Chris had managed to locate a connected phone inside of the research building in Atlantic City that - thankfully - still worked. Jill was keeping watch by the doorway with her weapon at the ready while Chris was talking.

"Sheva, its Chris." he said, his voice weak.

Sheva smiled, missing the tone for a brief moment. "Chris, are you alright?" she asked, relieved to hear that he was all in one piece. "How did it go over there? Any survivors?"

Chris wiped his face with one hand and struggled to find his voice. It finally came out, higher than what he wanted and strained. His throat was very dry and that didn't make speaking any easier.

"He's still alive, Sheva … "

On the other end, Sheva's eyes went wide with horror and a quick gasp escaped her lips; she knew exactly what he was talking about, somehow without him having to really say anything at all. All around her, the room grew silent and everyone glanced at her curiously. Jason frowned and mouthed "who is it" to her. Sheva didn't answer but finally spoke to Chris, turning so that her back was to her boss.

"A - Are you sure … ?" she asked, voice haunted.

"_Yes, I'm pretty sure it's him_," Chris whispered, his own voice trembling against the receiver. "_I - I don't know how he_ … " He paused, and Sheva was wondering if he was going to be attacked given the hitch in his voice, but he spoke again. "_He … he took a hit from two rocket launchers, Sheva … how_ ... _I just don't understand how he could have_ ... "

Chris' voice concerned Sheva now. After Wesker's death, Chris had always had some trouble adapting to normality as the years had passed. Dealing with it had become a familiar thing to her and Jill and eventually, things worked themselves out for the two of them. But right now, he sounded like he was going to lose it at any second. It frightened her, for his sake.

"Chris, just … calm down," Sheva said, gently. "He can't be alive; you must have seen something or someone familiar to you. It's okay, Chris. Calm down. You can't afford to lose it right now."

Sheva could suddenly hear Chris telling Jill that she did not believe him and that made her feel a little bad. She listened to Jill and Chris engaging in some soft, petty argument before she could make out Jill's voice in the background, speaking impatiently.

"_Let me talk to her, Chris … No ... No, stop … Now, stop arguing with me please and just give me the phone so I can talk to her …_ "

There was soft rustling, like the sound of the phone being exchanged between the two and Jill got on the phone, uttering a quick, 'hi'. Sheva exhaled and didn't wait for her to speak. "Jill, he is not well," she told the woman, listening to a frustrated sound in the background that had come from Chris, "Perhaps I should request to Jason that he come home."

Jason gave her a disbelieving frown and shook his head as if she were insane for making such a crazy request on the matter. She gave him a pleading scowl and nodded rapidly, but he aswered back with a silent 'no'.

"_Sheva, I saw him too,_" Jill replied. "_It wasn't just Chris. It was Wesker, I promise you that. He is alive. He was standing inside a fire of a burning house and he hopped onto an RV and then it split town._"

Sheva blinked and let this process through her head for a few moments. She grunted and cupped her left ear, sinking into her chair. Josh stared at her curiously, wondering what had got her upset all of a sudden.

"Wha … ?" she struggled.

"_I have to go,_" Jill told her._ "The sound of the phone might attract too many of these things. Inform Jason of the situation._"

The hum of an open line was all Sheva could hear through her own, numb thoughts. She didn't even feel Josh shaking her shoulder and hear him asking if she was alright. She couldn't hear or feel anything.

_Haddonfield_

Krauser, Beth and Jonas waited inside of the RV while Rose and Wesker entered an abandoned grocery store to gather supplies. They had not known about the spread of the virus and that it had reached far beyond the city of Atlantic.

"Look, steroids don't make it smaller!" Krauser snapped, in mid argument with the two standing behind him. "I don't take steroids personally, but I know they don't make it smaller!"

Beth laughed softly and patted the top of the chair with a laugh. "Yeah, that's every druggy's excuse!"

"I hope those guys hurry up back out here soon," Jonas murmured, rubbing his arms with both hands. "I'm getting a little freaked out." He looked around the parking lot outside of his window. "I don't see anybody out here either."

"Well, maybe it's a slow day today," Krauser replied, shrugging. "I mean, there's no way the virus could have gotten this far … right?" He sounded like he didn't believe even himself as he said it. He sensed something wrong; something very wrong. But a part of him wanted to deny it.

"Hey, how long does it take to get food, anyway?" Jonas continued, glancing around the parking lot outside. "I mean, really. I hope Wesker's not planning to rob anyone while they're in there." He looked back at the bedroom of the RV and cocked his head. "Alright, we only got the one bed. We can rotate. I'll bunk with Krauser. Is that cool with you?"

"No." Krauser said, simply.

Inside the store, Rose was glancing at the reflection of herself in an overturned tin container of pretzels. She cocked her head for a brief second before she threw the thing high into the air with all of her might. The powerful toss sent the canister flying through the ceiling and shattering the concrete, shooting it clear into the sky like a bullet.

The sound reached those in the RV and they watched it disappear into the clouds with surprise. Jonas blinked before he gave Beth a skeptical and somewhat surprised look before he spoke.

"Remind me not to say a _thing_ when she's on her period." he told her.

Back inside of the store, Wesker peered over at Rose from one of the shelves. He tilted his head at the sounds of Rose sniffling, hiccups that told him she was attempting to keep tears at bay. He scoffed mockingly. Why he put up with such weakness…

"Rose, why are you still doing this to yourself?" he asked, from across the store. "I told you what happened has already happened. You cannot change it. Stop letting it eat away at you or you will throw yourself into another fit."

Rose gave him a filthy glare. "Shut up!" she spat. "It's all your fault this happened to begin with!"

Wesker let loose a barking laugh. He knew that was coming. "Ahhh! So now _I _am the one to blame, am I?" he sneered, "I am the one who set your house up into a fireball, I'm the one who killed that pig of a man you call Kirk and I am the one to blame?"

Rose's glare intensified. "I said, shut up!" she nearly screamed.

Wesker was amused by her fury. He dropped what he had been holding and watched as she took a menacing step forward. Ahhh, so it was a fight she was itching for. Well, this should be amusing. After all, pain was best when taken out on another; he felt was the best philosophy. If she required some reprieve from her anguish, then he'd oblige only to see how far it would go.

"Rose, I am in no mood to play with you right now, but if it's a fight you want, then … " Before he finished, he disappeared in a blur and reappeared, slamming his fist into her stomach.

Sharp pain rang throughout Rose's body like firecrackers. She thought her ribs were in danger of snapping like twigs and her spine on the verge of cracking in half. But the idea was merely an idea as the feeling of pain ebbed away immediately as she tumbled to the floor.

"Rose, if all you will do for the rest of your life is grieve, you may as well stay there for the rest of your days," Wesker told her. "Because that's where you belong."

Rose glared back at him, snarling. She jumped to her feet with agile speed and slammed her entire body into his with all the strength that she had in her. The two ended up through the concrete wall and out into the street. The fighters were seen by the others in the RV and Krauser heaved a frustrated sigh.

"Oh, NOW what the hell are they doing?" he snapped.

Wesker got the upper hand, grabbed Rose by the throat with one gloved hand and shoved her hard into the RV, denting the metal. She glowered up at him furiously, panting through her nostrils and clenching her teeth in a snarl of effort.

"We can fight like this, forever, Rose," he sneered. "We are both equal in strength and stamina. You can't beat me!"

Rose suddenly smirked devilishly and swung her legs up, wrapping them around his head and flinging him into the ground, cracking the concrete there. Jonas flinched in surprise, and then let out a bark of laughter.

"Whoa!" he cried. "Nice one, Rose!"

Beth shook her head with dismay. "Why are they fighting, anyway?" she demanded. "We have to get going before someone sees this."

"Hey, let 'em work it out," Krauser replied, actually getting into the spirit of the fight as much as Jonas was. "They can't really kill each other anyway. I say just let 'em kick the shit out of each other for a while. Better out there than in here."

Wesker lifted his head from the splintered pavement and he shook bits of residue from his hair. His cracked glasses fell to the ground and he glanced down at them for a brief moment before he raised a half-amused, half-annoyed brow at Rose.

And then, he smiled!

"That's good," he said, chuckling softly. "That's very good, Rose."

Rose looked a little surprised by his lack of fury for better or for worse; she smiled faintly and uttered a sheepish chuckle. She climbed to her feet and rubbed her neck with one hand, helping him stand with the other.

"You apply your anger constructively," Wesker murmured, smiling down at her. "And … " He held out his broken glasses to her and she flinched, he added then, slightly amused and annoyed, "You owe me a new pair of glasses."

O

It was dark by the time the RV had cross over a massive bridge. Krauser had noticed various discarded vehicles at the sides of the road and dead bodies lying in the streets. He grunted warily and wasn't sure if he should wait to tell Wesker.

A slight snoring sound caused him to glance down with a grunt of disgust. Jonas had slouched slightly to the left in his seat and he had his face pressed into Krauser's shoulder, jaw locked open and snorting sounds escaping him.

Krauser grimaced in disgust before he flicked Jonas on the nose, startling the man out of sleep. He yelped and held his nose, recoiling in his seat. Krauser let out a laugh and focused back on the road.

"Ha - ha! Good, you're awake!" he said.

Jonas gave him an angry glare. "Asshole … "

Krauser peered back at Wesker and Rose as they argued over who would sleep in the bed tonight. He smirked slyly and gave Jonas a quick gesture back to the bedroom. Jonas looked back and saw the situation too. He grinned.

"Check it out … " Krauser whispered. "Those two are fighting again."

Jonas laughed quietly and nodded, watching Rose slap Wesker in the face with a pillow. "Yeah, well, hopefully they don't take it out on the RV this time."

"I will not sleep on the floor like some mongrel pup!" Wesker spat.

"Why?" Rose challenged. "I think it fits a bitch, don't you?"

Wesker cocked his head and grinned coldly. "Bitch?" he repeated, expressing mock surprise. "I expected no less from one with such inferior vocabulary!"

Jonas laughed and got up from his seat, walking up to the both of them and ready to compromise the situation. He held out two hands.

"Whoa!" he said, between laughter. "How about if I just take the couch for tonight, and you two can share the bed."

The two of them stared at Jonas in disbelief and then stared at one another with surprise. Wesker didn't seem too bothered by that idea, more willing to sleep than express any issues with bunking with the woman, but Rose looked a little more than conflicted by the option.

"Jonas, I can't sleep with him!" she insisted, a slight blush touching her face and her eyes growing wide in embarrassment.

"Why not?"

Rose's blush intensified and she ignored Wesker as he removed his jacket and boots, placing himself down onto the bed with a smirk on his face. He crossed his arms behind his head and the heels of both of his feet interlocked.

"Do you have to ask?" Rose whispered angrily.

Jonas grinned and shook his head. He sensed some form of chemistry between the two, and saw no real harm in it. Then again, he was hoping that they would not fight all night so that was he could get some sleep as well and not destroy the entire RV while they were at it. After all, it was the only vehicle available to them at the moment.

"Think of it as a way to learn about each other!" he pointed out.

A suspicious snicker from Krauser made Rose scoff angrily. "Right … " she snapped. "Well, I'm not learning something that my mother learned on accident months before I was born!"

Wesker rolled his eyes and he sounded bored already. "You are such a child, Rose," he chided. "There is nothing to worry about. I would rather fester in sewage than attempt to lay a hand on you. Let's just sleep. Tomorrow we will make for Virginia. I know of a small Umbrella weapons cache that was only available to a select few among the corporation."

Rose flashed Jonas an annoyed glare and then shook her head. "If you say one word of this again … "

Jonas laughed slightly and held up two hands as she sat down on the other side of the bed. "Hey, I'm just trying to end the violence, alright?" He walked back to his spot next to Krauser and the two snickered, slapping high fives.

After a long time of preparing for sleep, the lights inside of the RV went out and everyone but Krauser went to sleep. Wesker's eyes were closed and he remained in the same position as when he first laid down. Rose was lying on her side, thinking. Finally, she cocked her head.

"Hey, Wesker?"

"What?" He sounded tired and irritated, so the simple, soft word sounded rather rude if he had not meant it regardless.

Rose didn't look at him. "Can I ask you something?"

A heavy sigh. "I suppose."

"Uh, if you hadn't saved me from that G creature, what would you have done?" she asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "Would you have simply left my friends and me to die? You very well could have."

Jonas' eyes opened and he cocked his head to wait for that answer.

"Rose, we have been through this … " Wesker really sounded annoyed. "I gave you my answer and I won't give it again. I simply gave back the life you granted me once more, that's it."

Rose was oddly quiet after that. She listened to the soft sounds of his breathing before she spoke up again.

"That's not the point, Wesker," she continued. "You saved someone. In the short time I've been with you, you never would give the time to save another human life unless it meant something to you."

Rose could practically hear Wesker rolling his eyes in the darkness of the room.

"Good night, Rose."

She just smiled somewhat, and then sighed softly before she shifted a little more to get comfortable. "Good night."

Jonas smiled to himself before he closed his eyes again. There was something peaceful about the quiet conversation, despite being a trifle disturbing as well. They acted as if they despised one another, but it seems that it wasn't entirely the case. Maybe it went a little deeper. Deeper than either one of them wanted to admit. Jonas was pretty astute at catching things like that due to the fact that he was very in tune with himself and with his own feelings as well.

Rose's voice filled the air again. "Wesker?"

An irritated, low growl answered her.

"Did you really kill all of those people like they say you did?" Rose asked.

There was a brief moment of silence and Rose wondered if he had even heard her. He shifted slightly and a soft chuckle filled the air.

"Let me ask you something, Rose," Wesker said, softly. "You had the chance to turn me in after I had murdered your crew mates. You had the perfect opportunity to do so and I would have been out of your life in no time at all. And yet you didn't … Why is that?"

"But … "

Another chuckle. "No. I understand," he continued. "They were no one to you. You didn't know any of them, save for one individual whom you visibly mourned before me. I could tell by that act alone that the murders made little difference to you in your subconscious mind."

"Now that…" Rose was interrupted once more.

"You have a little selfishness in you Rose," Wesker replied, a smirk in his voice., "I knew just from that alone that I could manipulate you as soon as I brought up the fact that I could point a finger in your direction to the authorities." A brief pause. "So tell me … who's the real murderer here? Me … or you?"

There was no answer and Wesker laughed quietly. "That's what I thought."

Rose bit back the tears and struggled to keep her voice calm, hard. She felt numb all over at the knowledge that he had just shared with her. Coldness swept through her throat and all she did was keep her sniffling down so he would not hear.

O

_Note_-UPDATE! Stay tuned for more!


	16. Chapter 16: Down Time

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Sixteen: Down Time**

_Chesapeake City, Maryland _

"_My fellow Americans: tonight our country that which we stand for, and all we hold dear, faces a grave and terrible threat this day. This violent and unparalleled assault on our security will not go undefended...or unpunished. Our enemy is an insidious one, seeking to divide us and destroy the very foundation of our great nation. We must remain steadfast. We must remain determined, but most of all, we must remain united."_

The message over the radio of the RV was ignored by those inside of it. Krauser, Beth and Jonas were outside collecting things that they would need for their trip while Wesker and Rose were still sleeping. Krauser and Jonas were performing a "doughnut" stunt inside of a police cruiser. Krauser was talking to a zombie woman in a leopard dress through the loud speaker while Jonas readied his shotgun to take her out.

"_Ma'am, in the leopard dress, you have an incredible rack!" _he announced. _"It's a damn shame that we have to blow it clean off!" _He smirked at Jonas and put the speaker down. "I should have been a fucking cop."

Jonas took that last line as his cue to finish the job and he aimed the weapon at the zombie woman. With a snicker, he took a shot right at her head, taking her down in a pool of blood and guts. Across the empty street was Beth with a few bags of supplies and a few empty red cartons for gasoline, carrying everything in both arms with great difficulty. She rolled her eyes and struggled with the things in her hands.

"I'm so glad you two are having such a good time with these zombies ... " she snapped, "Now stop being a bunch of children and help get some gas before more of those things come and eat us all!"

"Alright, alright … " Krauser muttered, setting the police cruiser into its PARK designation.

Jonas chortled under his breath. "Sheesh ... kill our buzz why don't ya'?" he muttered.

"What was that?" Beth called, annoyed.

He grinned innocently over at her. "Nothing!"

"It better be nothing!"

It was obvious by now that the virus had spread by now due to a lack of any other people in the city and that they had to move quickly. It was insane that they had no idea what had caused it to spread so fast and so quietly all at the same time. They had learned this once they entered Maryland state line around nighttime and discovered the city itself in ruin as well.

"I just can't believe that it's moved here too … " Jonas said, as he climbed out of the cruiser windows, not bothering to use the door since the glass was shattered anyway. "Hey, Beth, do you think that it's happening all over the world?"

Beth shook her head as she placed her bags down onto the stepping ladder of the RV. She wasn't too sure about anything at the moment, but what she did know was that survival was top priority and they had to keep moving. She wasn't sure where they would go, but they were going to be fine so long as they stuck together and kept out of sight for now.

"Krauser, come on," Beth said, gesturing with one finger at the larger man. "We ain't getting shit done while you sit around jacking off with that megaphone. Come here and give me a hand with this."

"Alright, I'm coming … " Krauser muttered, climbing from the cruiser. He took one of the gas canisters and gave Beth a scoff. "You're a real buzz kill, ya' know that?"

Beth rolled her eyes at him, a quick sigh escaping her lips. "Yeah, well the buzz kill does all of the work around here," she snapped. "Not like you assholes know anything about that!"

Jonas raised his hand as if he was in school and attempting politeness, but Beth could tell that it was a sarcastic gesture and she folded her arms across her chest. "Hey, you know what, I have an idea for the next time we have to get food and pass a lot full of zombies," he said. "So everyone does a fair share, why don't we draw straws and the loser runs across the lot with a bunch of raw steaks tied to his ass."

Beth grimaced in disgust at the jibe and rolled her eyes, slowly shaking her head. "Go help Krauser fill up the canisters, wise ass." she snapped, tossing a gas canister at him. "I'm going to wake up the other two sleeping beauties."

Jonas smirked at her. "Good luck."

"Sheah ... "

Beth walked into the RV and approached the bedroom toward the back. She noticed that the two were still sound asleep, snoring softly as if they had not a single care in the world. As soon as she knocked on the side of the wall with one hand, Wesker and Rose abruptly sat up, handguns already pointed at whatever they guessed at that second was a zombie.

Beth held up two hands and her eyes bugged out. "WHOA!" she gasped. "Hang on! Just take it easy, you two! It's just me. It's morning now and I thought you two were hungry. We stopped at a store to get gas." She exhaled and stared at them gravely now. "I just thought that you'd be interested to know that whatever hit our city hit here too."

Rose and Wesker both relaxed and glanced at each other with frowns before they looked back at her. Rose placed her weapon carefully into her boot before she spoke, shock in her voice.

"You mean it spread this far?" she said. "How's that even possible?"

Wesker rubbed the back of his neck and gave it a slight crack. He stretched his legs to get the muscles to open up a bit from his sleep. "It could have happened while we traveled, perhaps."

Beth nodded and glanced out of the window, watching Krauser carrying a full canister of gasoline and moving to the back of the RV. "Yeah…but I don't know what's been going on these past few hours, but the radio's saying it's starting to look like a global outbreak." She looked haunted now. "And it had started happening in the past few days … "

Wesker and Rose gasped sharply at this new knowledge. Whatever had caused this or whomever, they were perceptibly more influential than they had thought so before. Now was the time to consider who had so much power and who it was that wanted to do this to begin with. After all, no demands have been made and there was no sign of the culprit's indication that it was he or she doing this.

Wesker was not thrilled at this at all and it showed quite visibly through his tense body language and soft mutters. Somewhere out there, someone was taking his position and placing themselves on the higher part of the chain; a spot that he so rightfully deserved. They were taking his right as a God to this new world and completely spitting on it.

"Let's discuss this after I have bathed yesterday's filth off of me … " he groused, straightening up and placing his feet onto the floor.

Rose stared at him questionably and somewhat irritably. "Yeah? Well, I gotta get a bath too."

The two stared at each other for a split second before they made a mad dash for the shower. Beth ducked sharply out of the way to avoid being trampled by the two super humans in their path. Wesker made it to the shower first, spinning once, grabbing the door and slaming it in Rose's face; locking the door behind him. Rose growled angrily and beat on it with one fist.

"Dammit, Wesker, get your smarmy little ass out of there!" she protested. "I went longer without a bath than you did!"

There was an amused sound from the other side of the door and it got directly underneath her skin. "Sorry to hear that, but you are still not getting in." Wesker said, in a challenging voice. "I guess you'll have to wait." He paused for dramatic emphasis. "Just so you know, I take an hour of shower time." He laughed cruelly behind the door.

Rose snarled angrily, petulantly stamping one foot. "You're such an asshole!"

Beth rolled her eyes and couldn't resist a small laugh, hiding it behind her right hand so that Rose wouldn't get pissed enough at her. Rose stormed off the RV angrily and she cocked her head.

"What are you doing?" she asked, through a giggle.

"I'm going to find a bathroom!" Rose shouted, over her shoulder, "That is, if that is alright with SOME people!"

Beth could only smirk and shake her head with amusement. Finally, she looked outside from the windshield and noticed that a few storm clouds were rolling in from the south. Oh, that was going to be great. After all, driving in a storm during a zombie outbreak at night was not something you wanted to do.

"It's gonna be one of those days … " she muttered.

_Meanwhile_

The darkened room was filled with the same shadowed men as before. One of them observed a man at the center of the table, silent and smiling. His face was partially hidden from the dim light overhead, revealing a cold, blue eye filled with age.

"They're getting close, I know it!" one of the men spat, terror in his voice. "Once they figure out what we're doing, they'll expose us to the world! We'll be finished and it'll all be over!"

"Calm yourself, senator … " came the usually quiet voice from the mastermind behind the entire gathering. "What Wesker and even She herself does not realize, is that she is my puppet. I can activate her whenever I please … then they will all die at the hands of someone that they truly care about."

"When, then?" asked another man with a thick Russian accent. "When will you take them down before they can get to us?"

"I think it's best to let them believe that they are getting close enough … " the strange mastermind replied, calmly. " … and then she will finish them all." There was a long pause. "Know this, gentleman; I foresaw all of this as you already know by now. I know what's going to happen and even She will have no say in the matter…"

"I hope your right." the Russian man sneered.

On the various screens behind them, there was a digital image of planet Earth and its continents. A red haze was spreading across the globe, revealing the damages caused by the global outbreak.

O

Krauser was on guard duty that evening during the rain storm. He was standing on top of the RV with his submachine gun at the ready beneath an umbrella and he was wearing a shabby raincoat that he had dug up inside the corner store across the street. He kept his dark gaze locked firmly toward the south, especially the road ahead that had yet to be traveled by them. Something deep in his tattered innards told him that the way they had to go held more danger than they wanted and needed.

Inside the warm confines of the RV, Beth, Rose, and Wesker were going over plans and maps of the United States, sprawled out on the floor before them. Jonas had his face buried in a book and wasn't really paying much attention to what was being said.

"Poor Krauser," Beth murmured, casting her gaze upwards toward the ceiling. "He probably getting so wet out there. I think I'll take up some soup to him in a little bit."

Wesker didn't even glance up from his papers. "Good for you." He sounded a little impatient, his mind a little more focused on the task at hand than the condition of his subordinate.

"Do you think we can make it if we continue to raid the shops and gas stations?" Rose asked, looking sideways at him, "And preserve our ammo only if we really need it?"

"We should be able to," Wesker replied. "But we must also be aware of the survivors and the potential of inconvenient interference from them. Not all of them are going to be willing to offer a welcome hand. Desperation can turn even the most civilized into rabid savages."

Rose nodded in agreement. "Well, wherever we're going, we have to make sure to stay one step ahead of the game and figure out who's behind all of this; otherwise we're just running in circles without any kind of probable cause."

Jonas' reading was finally caught by Wesker and the man frowned sideways at him. "If you don't mind, I think that maybe you should join us, Jonas," Wesker said. "Perhaps you should contribute to the conversation and the plans."

Jonas shrugged his shoulders and looked over at his annoyed expression. He chuckled nervously at it and held out the book he was reading. "Oh! Sorry, I was just reading up on this book and … " he began.

The sight of the suddenly familiar book caught Rose's eye and she grinned, moving across the RV to Jonas' side. It was her father's diary and research book of everything that she had learned about so far of herself. How he had gotten it from the fire was a mystery itself. "Jonas!"

He grunted as she stumbled over Wesker's papers - - earning a discontented grunt from the man - - and took the book from him. "Yeah, I had it on me when the house went up in flames, I thought you were gonna need it so I made sure that it didn't get turned into firewood."

Rose practically squeezed him in a gruesome hug with one arm circling around his neck. "You son of a bitch!" she said, gleefully. "I can't believe you managed to get a hold of this!"

Jonas smiled with pride. He loved doing things that made his friends happy, that's just the kind of guy that he was. Well, doing it on his own terms at least. Wesker leaned over her, collecting the papers from beneath her knees - - smacking her foot with one hand to reach one that she stepped on - - and finally, he paused as he watched her page through the book.

"I was quite sure that you had read the entire book by now, Rose." Wesker said.

Rose looked at him. "No, not all of it, at least." she replied. "I think that there might be something in here to help us figure out what's been going on lately. A clue or something."

"Rose, that book was dated almost 37 years ago," Beth argued, gently. "I mean how something that old could help us with the problems here and now is beyond me."

Rose shrugged at her and absently paged through the book with two hands, flipping papers and small clippings in her wake. "Well, it helped me figure out stuff about my life, right?" she pointed out. "I'm sure there's something else in this thing … A history of Umbrella employees … a past skirmish that may have caused all of this…Who knows?"

For once, Wesker had to agree with what she was saying. There might have been something in the book that was enough for him to figure out who was doing all of this to the world. All that it would take would be a subtle hint, a small clue and he would figure it out without a single qualm.

Jonas stretched his limbs and let out a bellowing yawn. "Alright, since Krauser's on guard duty for now, I got the next watch then." he said. "I'm gonna go up and see how he's doing and shoot the shit a bit. No one wait up for me, alright?"

No one argued with that.

Jonas disappeared outside in the rain, letting out a yelp from the strength of the downpour before shutting the door behind him. Beth turned to the other two and sighed heavily, leaning against the wall.

"So, Wesker," she began. "What _is_ the plan?"

Rose was paging through the book while the two went over a proper game strategy. She wasn't listening entirely, but they were talking about what they would have to do should they run into potential problems. Beth seemed to argue a little bit with him.

"Wesker?" she said, something catching her eye in the book.

"What?" He looked over her shoulder.

Rose pointed at a few tattered pages with information regarding Project W. Wesker was familiar with such a project; he was a part of it, just as Rose was. He knew about the various children used in it and was told that they had all been dead. But then again, Rose was one of the children; perhaps Spencer had told him they were all dead to keep them from his sights. Maybe they were a little more special than they were given credit for. After all, who knew what else Spencer had lied to him about?

"There's a list of names here," Rose told him. "Isaak Jimenez … Elsa Ivanhov … all supposed dead rejects in the project." She paused in listing the names and gave Wesker a curious frown. "Hey, when did Spencer start project W?"

Wesker shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't say," he replied. "Spencer has been adept at spilling lies among the corporation for as long as I have known him. It could have been 50 years ago at the most…but that is just a solemn guess."

Rose could shake the feeling that what she was reading had more truth to it than Wesker told her. 50 years? But this looked like a transfer document that was dated 20 years ago tops. So that meant that these people were possibly still alive and these transfer papers had been written by her father. That was some good news, though. Maybe they had something that could help them.

"50 years ago… " Rose repeated. She grunted in frustration and gestured to the papers. "But why does this list date back 20 years ago? I mean, I know I'd probably be the youngest of all of you, but that still doesn't make any sense."

Wesker took the book from her and studied it for a few moments. His brow knotted and his lips parted in a soft grunt of surprise. So everything that Spencer had led him to believe…all if it was wrong. There were still few Wesker children alive and the documents listed all places of transfer. Somehow they must have had flaws or irregularities that he himself has not received during the various tests he had gone through as a child. The story of their death had been a way to cover up their locations to him.

_Spencer, you truly were arrogant until the end … _he thought, a sneer on his lips.

"We have a new mission, it seems," Wesker told the two women. "We are going to find these Wesker children and get the information that we need from their own personal experiences with Spencer."

Beth and Rose stared at him in disbelief. "What?" they exclaimed.

Wesker smiled. "Perhaps what Rose is suggesting without really speaking, is they can assist us with what we need," he explained. "They must have vital information if Spencer would go at such lengths to keep them a secret from me."

Beth stared at Rose uncertainly, scanning her face for any lack of enthusiasm to this new plan. Rose didn't seem to be in the mood to argue over it, seeing since she nodded at the arrangement. Beth thought the idea was insane, but maybe it would help shed some light on the whole state of affairs.

"Rose, you're the boss," Beth said, reluctantly. "It's your call. I'll go where you go."

Rose smiled at her and nodded. "Let's do it."

Wesker chuckled, pleased. There was no discouragement over his plan, nothing backing him into a corner. Now with that plan set in motion, he would use the flawed Wesker children (flawed for whatever purpose) to help him figure out the nemesis behind all of this.

O

Jill and Chris hurried through the hallways of the Atlantic Research Center and came to a stop inside the confidential documents room hidden in the basement. Jill was going through a thick folder full of T-virus research, cures and various other medical test papers. So far, there was nothing that would indicate a need to cause an outbreak intentionally.

"Jill, hang on … " Chris said from across the room. "I … I think I got something."

Jill looked back at him, placing the folder that she had been going through onto one of the opened white storage boxes. "What is it, Chris?" she asked, walking over to the man, who was crouched in the corner.

Chris was squatting over a safety deposit box that had obviously been smashed by something heavy. He was holding a manila folder in his hands and began paging through loose papers smeared with dried blood on the edges.

"It looks like a folder for a test subject that they were working on here," he said. "Only difference is that there's no indication of injections, or virus exposure. It looks like a bunch of observational tests."

Jill leaned forward to look, hands on her knees. "What was the subject?"

"I don't know, really. Doesn't have a name or anything." Chris sounded concerned. "Listen to this one, 'She is exhibiting no signs like it of the normal tests subjects. Injections from infant stage seem dormant. She shows no signs of change and mutations, no allergic reactions of any kind. Working here allows for us to keep watch over her in the event that anything changes'."

"Do you think it had something to do with Wesker?" Jill asked.

Chris tucked the folder into a back pack strapped onto his back. He could take this back to headquarters and discuss it further with them when he was sure that they were both safe and out of harms way. Time was not on their side and it would really suck to have a horde of zombies pile in here with only one visible escape route.

"It might," he replied. "All of this happens in the course of a few days. Even if Wesker had something to do with this, he would have at least made it known to the world. It's not like him to go about any of this in a humble way."

"True."

Chris furrowed his brow and rubbed his temple with two fingers. He jus couldn't get over the fact that Wesker was still alive to begin with. What had brought him back? Who were those people in the RV? And who was this SHE that the document spoke of? Things were going in so many directions and he hated the fact that he was slowly beginning to think that this had nothing to do with Wesker at all.

O

_Note_-I'm getting close to the action! Keep watch for me! ^^


	17. Chapter 17: Not Tomorrow I

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Seventeen: Not Tomorrow I**

_Baltimore City, Maryland _

"It's here…"

Wesker seemed intent on something as they arrived in the abandoned city of Baltimore, Maryland. He was pacing back and forth across the asphalt road, observing the street signs and reparation that had been done by the outbreak that had gone beyond that which he had suspected. The others simply watched him with confusion, unsure of what he was doing. Even Rose couldn't really fathom what it was that had gotten his attention.

"Wesker?" Jonas said.

Wesker turned to them with a faint smile, gesturing to the road ahead of them. "There is something here in this city," he said. "Information, perhaps. I have been to this city before on a secret mission for Umbrella. There's a building here that has held precious info. For our sakes, it had better still remain here."

Krauser grumbled lowly and looked around the seemingly empty city. "Well, whatever you wanna do, boss, let's make it fast," he muttered. "Something isn't all too right here. I can feel it."

Wesker didn't entirely disagree with that statement.

Passing far overhead, the peculiar satellite was poised over the city of Baltimore, a deadly and silent observer. Electronic beeps and clicks whirred through the apparatus, transmitting data and information back to the starting place of the people behind the epidemic. Thin tubes of atypical fluid were attached to the side of the machine, sparking with electricity and life.

Below, Rose seemed to have the same feeling that Krauser did as well because she couldn't help but tilt her head back as she looked up toward the cloudy sky. She shielded her eyes with one hand and winced slightly. Wesker was right. The light really was bad on these new eyes. Maybe she would find some sunglasses to wear during the day.

"Okay, just to be absolutely clear on this here," Jonas said, cautiously. "our options are a plenty. We can either A: die in this spot, B: die in the street tunnels, D: die in the streets, or my favorite, E: Stay here like an idiot until something bad happens. That pretty much it?"

Wesker gave him a very sour look. "Don't be such a child."

Krauser chuckled mockingly at Jonas, who looked at him with a less than enthused expression. The ex-militant read the sour look and shrugged his shoulders innocently, his smile vanishing.

"What?" he asked.

"Okay, so where is this place anyway?" Beth asked, intent on stopping a feud before it would start.

"A building on the northern side of the city," Wesker explained. "It was an Umbrella recruitment agency to provide work for various civilians into their conglomerate. It was a … temping department for the hiring of misguided sheep if you will … "

"Well, let's go to the sheep store and find what we need to find, then." Beth murmured, shaking her head with pity.

While they walked down the silent streets, the satellite was sending back information of Rose to the strange, unknown mastermind of it all. He was grinning; a thin oily grin and his long fingers stroked a bright red button in front of him. Her digital scan seemed so innocent to him … so naive.

"That's it … keep going … " he purred. "Take them there, Wesker … and then … then you'll die … by the very thing that you created."

O

As the group slowly made their way down the streets, Wesker had his eyes deeply focused on a particular side of the empty buildings around them. He continued to glance back and finally, he stopped in his spot. The others did as well. They stared at him curiously and even tensed somewhat, worried if he had heard another G creature, maybe.

"Wesker?" Krauser said.

"Rose, do you hear it?" Wesker asked, looking at her questionably.

Rose frowned at the off the wall question and tilted her head, listening with her more … superior ears. She could make out the sounds of the dead in the distance, the crackling of flames, and …

"Yeah!" Rose gasped.

Wesker nodded, his glasses gleaming in the light. "We're being followed."

Suddenly, he spun around promptly, just as he was jumped from behind by a smaller shape. He seized the figure by the throat with one hand, hearing a sharp gasp and slammed down.

It was a woman.

She had short chocolate hair and sandy - colored eyes. She was wearing what looked like a law enforcement uniform that had been threadbare and ragged, probably due to over - wearing with age and battle. She was small, but slightly built with lean muscle. Wesker cocked his head. He couldn't believe his eyes. He knew that the hair color was false and even then, it couldn't hide who she was. He KNEW this woman. It was the eyes, they were the giveaway.

"Hah!" he sneered. "If it isn't the Birkin whelp!"

This woman was the long lost Sherry Birkin, William Birkin's sweet little daughter. He never could believe that he would see her again after all these years. She had completely disappeared that day he had tried to take her for further study. It was amazing that she was still alive from the G embryo that had been implanted inside of her.

"Birkin?" Jonas gasped, amazed. "As in THE William Birkin? As in THE William Birkin, the creator of the G virus?"

Sherry smiled, embarrassed. She didn't seem to share his sense of rapture about the history of her father's life work. Too many bad memories and not enough good ones. "Yeah … " she said.

"The very same." Wesker replied.

The woman - Sherry Birkin - rose from her position on the ground. She gave Wesker a strange look before she smirked and reached into her holster, grunting with effort and pointing a handgun at him. It looked to be a custom weapon, something Wesker was familiar with through his time with S . T . A . R . S . She had obviously achieved quite a status in her time with the law.

"Yeah, and since the last time that you met me, I learned a few nasty little tricks of my own!" Sherry sneered at him. "So, guess what? I'm not that scared little girl that you used to know!"

Rose blinked in surprise and gave Wesker a frown. "What's she talking about, Wesker?" she asked.

Sherry glanced between Rose and Wesker and smiled slightly. She sensed some sort of connection between the two, something unknown and deeper than what was just on the outside with Rose's eyes. It suddenly hit her then; this was her father's prototype virus. She had heard about it during a conversation between her mother and father as a child, but she had never seen it tested on another human being. They must have shared the same blood. There was no other way a "normal" human being would have survived it otherwise.

Rose held up a hand in greeting. "I'm Rose Bedford; this is Jonas Burton, Beth Underwood, and Jack Krauser." She pointed at each individual once as she listed their names.

Sherry nodded once, indicating that she understood.

"Sherry, is it?" Rose continued. "Listen, we could really use your help. Do you know anything about what's been going on? We were also looking for information from Umbrella. Would you be able to help us?"

Sherry cocked her head. She lowered her weapon and frowned. So they suspected as well. That made them less of the enemy for now. Still, she'd keep a close eye on Wesker for now.

"First, I want you to tell me why you share the same blood as Wesker." Sherry said, suspiciously.

Rose looked a bit surprised. Finally, she chuckled sheepishly and wavered somewhat. It was a long story to tell and there was not enough time to really explain it all out here.

"Well, I was wounded by a G creature, a big one too, and I was going to die because the creature's tail punctured me clean through my stomach!" she explained, demonstrating to her lower regions, "But Wesker gave me a shot that burned like hell and I was better! And I have to say … "

Wesker rolled his eyes. "Stop rambling, it's not a good time for it." he interrupted.

Rose frowned and shrugged in protest, voice laced with tension. "I'm not rambling, I'm answering her question." She gave Sherry a smile. "He's got a little bit of an attitude problem."

Wesker sighed impatiently. "I don't."

"Yes, you do."

Sherry couldn't help but laugh a little bit at their subtle conversation. Hm. There was a little more chemistry between the two than she had even anticipated possible in the man. That was unusual for a man such as Albert Wesker; she had always heard stories about his corrupt personality. Or maybe he had just found a new toy and was simply playing with her like he was good at.

She glanced around and decided to take them back to her hideout. It wasn't safe here for now.

"Alright, I'll take you to the warehouse," she told them. "I managed to gather some information that might be useful to all of us. Hurry."

O

The RV was carefully pushed into a docking bay of an old warehouse and locked up. As soon as the doors were carefully shut tight, Sherry switched all lighting on inside the large building from a massive console inside the main office. The others looked around in surprise. There were rows upon rows of food stacked up in large crates, papers tossed about and weapons in one corner.

"Whoa!" Jonas gasped, head leaned back to observe the towers of food. "You got all this on your own?"

Sherry nodded, walking over to a corner that had several computers plugged in, typing a few keys in rapid procession. Once she started them up, she smiled sadly back at him.

"Yeah, I tried to get some people to come here safely before it hit."

Krauser frowned at her. "And?"

"No one believed me."

Krauser blinked in surprise and whistled through his lips. "Whew, tough call, kid."

Wesker looked around the warehouse before he stood over Sherry with a deep, thoughtful frown on his face. The fact that she knew that it had happened before it hit caused mistrust to augment into the back of his mind. She was a good soul, yes, but he didn't put anything passed a human who had been a daughter of an Umbrella employee.

Sherry sensed his suspicion and laughed once. "No, Wesker, I had nothing to do with the apocalypse," she told him. "But I have an idea of who it might be." She crouched beneath her computers and removed a box full of mismatched folders. She fingered through them before she took out one that she found suitable and held it up to him.

Wesker gave her a long look before he took the folder from her and began to read the manuscript pinned in the front to himself.

"There have been more viral incidents occurring in the major cities," Sherry told him. "I've calculated the precise time and dates down to the very first incident … in Atlantic City."

Wesker nodded impatiently. Something he already knew. "Yes, I know."

Rose was studying a few photos pinned to a bulletin board by thumb tacks. There were some of Sherry as a child, some of Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy and even a very old one of her parents. Of course, Rose didn't recognize any of these people, but they looked very happy together. Maybe they were Sherry's family. Not blood, of course, but that didn't seem to matter.

"Rose?" Sherry called.

"Yeah?"

Sherry furrowed her brow. "Where did you come from before you came here?"

"Atlantic City!"

Sherry's lips tightened at the answer and she nodded once. "That's what I thought." she replied, going to her computer screens and pulling up a map of the entire world.

"What's the matter, Sherry?" Wesker asked. "Do you have a clue of how this had happened?"

"Wesker, take a look at this map and tell me what you see." Sherry gestured to the map of the United States. "Every incident has been occurring all across the globe, except … here." She pointed to a spot closest to Colorado.

Wesker frowned thoughtfully and kept his focus on the screen. _What are you getting at, Sherry?_

"Yes, that was where Raccoon City used to be."

Sherry smiled. "Exactly!" she told him. "And why is Raccoon City left untouched all this time? I think the culprit is right there doing all of this from that abandoned city. No one would think to look there."

Wesker blinked in surprise.

"But what I'm trying to figure out is why Atlantic City was targeted first," Sherry continued. "What made this ... terrorist attack that specific city first? Was it a test of some sort? Was there someone there that he didn't particularly like?"

Wesker grunted, thinking that it had something to do with him; a personal vendetta perhaps. Why else would the city that HE was in at the time be attacked first? "Why would anyone know about me being there? I was dead to the world and … " He cut himself off with a sharp gasp of realization and his eyes grew wide behind his glasses.

_It can't be possible!_

"I don't know that for sure, yet," Sherry told him, not catching the relevance to his shock. "But I have every reason to suspect that this was done by an Umbrella executive."

Wesker looked at her, containing his emotions for the time being. "Yes, you could be right."

"It would have to be someone in the corporation who loved power, loved control; maybe even more than you ever did," she continued. "Someone with a need to change the world in his own image, other than you. It would be someone who has been around the block and knows the weaknesses of the world to … hold it hostage, per se."

_You've figured this entire thing out,_ Wesker thought, amused. _you really are William's daughter._

_O  
_

Rose grunted and rubbed the back of her head, frowning. She began feeling a faint tickle weave down the base of her skull like small burning sensations. She looked back at the others curiously, a bizarre tenderness shooting through her head as she did.

"Hey, do you guys hear something?" she asked. "It feels - No, sounds like a weird beeping sound."

Wesker tilted his head and listened for what she was talking about, but he heard nothing in peculiar like that. The other strained to hear it as well, but they heard nothing.

"No, I don't hear anything." Jonas said, confused.

Rose scowled now, frantic in her tone. "It's in this room! It's … it's even getting louder!" She growled and glanced around before she spoke again, her voice simply a haunted whisper. "You guys honestly don't hear that? It's fucking loud!"

"I don't hear anything," Krauser insisted. "Maybe you're just being paranoid or something."

Sherry frowned cautiously.

"Rose, if I cannot hear it, it stands to reason that they will not either," Wesker explained, his brow knotting. "What is it that you hear anyway? What does it sound like?"

Rose snarled, the pain in her head increasing as well as her frustration. "I told you, it's a … " She cut herself off with a loud cry and one hand went to her head and the other at her chest. "It's LOUD!" she shouted. "It's … it hurts!"

"Rose, what's wrong?" Beth exclaimed. "What is it? What are you feeling?"

"PAIN!"

Rose dropped to her knees and her eyes widened, frenetic and distressed. They flickered between ginger and crimson, glowing like two orbs of bonfire. The veins in her forehead and around her eyes began to swell up and her gasps turned wild, like a savage, hungry beast. She lost control of her jaw, bits of saliva dripping down the length of her chin.

"Rose!" Wesker shouted, taking a step forward. "Is this another fit? You have to tell us!"

Rose shook her head wildly and glared at him through a 1000 yard stare, her lips parting and her teeth showing. "No!" she groaned, voice strained, panicked. "It's … something else! Something … !"

They started to go to her, but Sherry held up a restraining hand. "WAIT!"

"What?" Beth demanded. "She needs help!"

Sherry locked her gaze to the writhing form of Rose on the floor. "It's hazardous even for Wesker," she told them. "She's losing control to something other than her baser instincts. It's something else; otherwise she wouldn't be holding her head and chest like that. It indicates extreme pain there."

Rose shrieked again, slamming her face into the ground over and over again until the concrete began to fracture and her forehead began to bleed. Loud moaning sounds filled the air and she clawed uselessly at her own face.

"I can't see!" she screamed, over and over again. "I can't see!"

_I can't see! Why can't I see? It's so dark! What just happened?_

Krauser grunted cautiously and took a tentative step backwards. "Boss, shouldn't we do something?"

Rose wailed this time, a horrible distorted sound from deep in her throat. She writhed about all over the floor, screaming like she was possessed and spitting like a savage animal. Finally, after a few brief moments of chaos and screams, it slowly stopped.

"Rose?" Jonas stammered.

The woman was wheezing heavily, slowly rising to her feet, her back to them. Soft gurgling sounds left her lips and she just stood there, back arched in a painful manner. They watched her, waiting for whatever was going to happen next.

Somewhere, the unknown man whispered. "_Kill them_."

Rose's hands suddenly curled laboriously like claws, the bones cracking and her lips pulled back from her teeth in a wicked grin. She slowly turned, hissing softly. Her eyes were glowing orbs of red beneath her bangs, just as Wesker's had that day that he had overdosed on the "medicine" from Chris and Sheva's interferences in Africa.

"Rose." Wesker said.

A grin touched her lips and she lifted her head, revealing the change in her facial appearance. The veins had swelled abnormally and throbbed visibly around her forehead and eyes. Her lips pulled back once more to bare her teeth in a sharp hiss.

"Rose?" Beth said, warily.

Rose took a single footstep onward, a threatening step which seemed unusually stiff and mechanized, as if she was under control by someone. Sherry raised her handgun and pointed it at her.

"Stop!" she ordered.

No response. Rose continued slowly forward, licking her lips hungrily.

"I said stop!"

Still nothing.

"She's not responding!" Wesker grunted, stunned. "Rose, what are you doing? Stop this, now!" He lowered his head and spoke severely, attempting to subdue her with verbal threats. "I will not war you a second time, Rose! Stop!"

Rose still refused to stop at the threat, as if it meant absolutely nothing to her. Her back arched like a feline and she snarled at them. Sherry pulled the trigger of her weapon, taking a shot directly between Rose's eyeballs. Jonas uttered a sharp intake of breath as Rose simply recoiled somewhat from the blast and hissed at her, the bullet steaming and dropping from her abrasion as it closed.

"What's the matter, Rose?" Beth demanded. "What are you doing?"

Rose smirked wickedly and suddenly dove for Wesker, slamming her full weight into his abdomen. They ended up flying into a crate, shattering wood and sending bags of rice flying in all directions. Rose had Wesker pinned and she was snarling, drooling like a savage animal down at him. He was holding her jaw back with one gloved hand and glaring up at her.

"Rose, get off!" he demanded. "What is the matter with you? Why are you acting like this?"

Rose hissed and sank her long nails deeply into his neck, drawing blood from every single puncture. Grunting sharply with pain, Wesker pressed his feet into her stomach and pushed, hard, flipping her from him. The force sent her soaring through the air and landing hard into a different crate. Wesker climbed to his feet and scowled.

"I've never seen this before," Wesker said, watching Rose stagger from the damaged crate. "She's acting like a wild animal. It's not like the process of the virus at all. This can't be from the injection that I had given her. It's something else."

Sherry frowned. "Do you think that someone's doing this to her?"

"Maybe, but for now, we have_ her_ to worry about."

Rose climbed to the floor on all fours, rushing toward them again with the speed of a demon. Sherry opened fire again and Rose flipped through the air, clinging to a support beam and shrieking down at them.

"Sherry, are there rooms that contain shatter proof glass here by any chance?" Wesker asked, still watching Rose above.

"Yes. The break room has thick reinforced glass," Sherry said. "It might hold."

"I have an idea."

O

"This is the stupidest idea I have ever seen in my life."

Krauser shook his head with dismay, standing there in front of the break room where the others stood around him. Jonas was standing inside, terror all over his face. There was one way in and out and it was through a wooden door with reinforced glass. Jonas was going to be the bait.

The unknown man was watching with a grin. "Such fools," he sneered. "Well, let's try something else, then, shall we?" He removed his hand from the bright red button.

Rose suddenly snapped out of her monstrous reverie and she blinked in shock, glancing around the warehouse with unease. She had no recollection at all of what was going on and saw no one there.

"Guys?" she stammered. "Hey, guys! What's going on?"

They could hear Rose's cry from across the warehouse and Beth flashed a grin, relief touching her features. She looked at Wesker and Sherry, gesturing out with one hand.

"Rose is fine!" she told them. "We should … "

Sherry shook her head and put a hand on her shoulder before she could go to the woman. "It's a trap."

Beth looked shocked. "What?"

Rose appeared from around the corner, staring at them urgently. There was a thin gleam of sweat covering her brow. She looked over toward them with one hand extended beseechingly.

"Guys, help me!" she begged, "I don't know what's going on!"

Wesker furrowed his brow, lips tightening. This was a game. This … 'terrorist' or whoever it was, was playing a game with HIM? They would dare?

"Rose, are you sure you are you right now?" Sherry called. "Because whatever's happening to you is beyond your control, am I right?"

Rose blinked, stunned. She had no idea what they were talking about! What did she mean?

"I don't know!" she wailed. "I don't know what you're … " She cut herself off with a fierce shout and dropped to her knees, holding her head once more. "He's … he's doing … " Finally, it cut away into a mixture of snarls and hisses. She rose to her feet, the animal nature taking hold once more.

"Alright, now let's do it!" Wesker ordered.

They all tensed and called for the woman.

"Hey!" Krauser hooted. "Hey, come and get us!"

Rose reacted with a series of interested hisses, starting for the team, slowly and murderously in her steps. She reached the edge of a corner and stopped, standing still with a single brow raised, lips parted in small, stagnant hissing.

The team frowned, knowing full well what was going on here. "Shit, she's not coming." Beth said.

Krauser cupped his mouth and gestured to himself and the others. "Hey! Fresh meat here!"

Sherry tittered, surprised and amused all at once. "She knows that it's a trap."

Wesker smiled and turned to Jonas. "Alright, I have an idea." he told him. He grabbed the man, who kicked and thrashed in surprise and terror.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing?" Jonas cried, terrified.

"Hey! What the hell are you thinking?" Beth demanded.

Wesker leveled a finger at the hellish being before them. "Come on, it won't hurt long," he crooned. He called to the woman with a grin on his face. "Here he is! Come and get him!"

Jonas kicked against the man's massive grip, whimpering like a terrified dog. "Shit, let me go!"

Suddenly, the woman roared forward on two legs. Wesker tossed Jonas aside and he slid into the break room; and Wesker ducked as Rose dove inside after Jonas with a howl. She slid across the waxed floor and crashed into a soda machine, just as he was rushing for the door.

"Close it!" he wailed, just as he rushed out. "Close it!"

Krauser closed the door just as Rose dove and she slammed into it with an indignant roar of fury. Jonas panted heavily with anger and terror, glaring at Wesker.

"Were you really gonna fucking throw me?" he cried.

Wesker smiled at him. "I needed for her to smell fear, so I gave her some of yours."

The team watched Rose through the shatter-proof glass, watching as she clawed and beat at it furiously with both hands. Wesker raised a brow down at Jonas, who was still shaken, lying there by the door.

"Did you think I was going to ... feed you to her?" she asked.

Jonas looked at him with annoyance. "Yeah."

Wesker chuckled softly. "You're right, I probably would have."

Jonas stared at him nervously. Suddenly, the wood at his head shattered in splinters and Rose's hand lashed out, grabbing him tightly by the throat. He panicked and kicked, prying at her fingers uselessly. Krauser went to his aid, grabbing her fingers in his own meaty ones and bending them back, listening to a pained scream from the other side.

"So what do we do now?" Beth stammered.

Sherry shook her head. "I want to run tests on her," she told them. "I have a few machines that might be of some use. In the meantime, don't worry. She's perfectly secure."

Wesker tightened his lips and looked in at the screaming woman there. Another setback was another setback that he did not need right now. Whoever was responsible for this, he would make them pay dearly for it.

O

_Note_-Heehe! All that and more coming soon! See what happened in the next chappy!


	18. Chapter 18: Not Tomorrow II

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Eighteen: Not Tomorrow II**

_Baltimore City, Maryland _

Rose was hissing like a hungry animal, face pressed into the glass of the window as she watched the others behind it furiously. Sherry was busy at work, manipulating a peculiar rod-like device and swinging it back and forth in front of Rose's eyes. Oddly enough, the hellish being seemed to follow it inquisitively as it moved back and forth.

"She still possesses some mental form of awareness, so we know that she isn't behaving completely like an animal," Sherry stated. "But I have any reason to believe that whatever or whoever is doing this to her must hate you very much, Wesker."

He stared at her with a scowl. "What?"

Sherry smiled painfully and placed her tools onto a crate top. "Think about it," she said. "You suddenly get yourself close to some kind of truth, and now all of a sudden, this happens to her, a fellow comrade closest to you. It seems to me that whatever I was saying had some truth to it otherwise this wouldn't have come to pass to begin with."

Wesker's brow furrowed. Sherry was right after all. He had indeed thought about the idea of who could be behind this. But even so … Wesker recalled _that _person meeting his end so long ago, so there was no possible way that it could be …_ him_.

"Wesker … "

Beth was staring at him sadly, standing adjacent to the window and watching her hellish fury of a comrade beating against it with every objective of escaping and assassinating her. It had almost been too much for her to bear, seeing her like that. She wanted to know what the plan was to help her and Wesker seemed ill - intent on telling her.

"What is it?" Wesker asked, gruffly.

"What should we do?" Beth said; her voice was filled with pain.

Wesker glared at her from behind his glasses. "There's nothing that we can do right now, Beth," he said, harshly. "Not until we have a further grasp on what is going on. Until then, let's leave it to the one with the resources at the moment."

Beth nodded sadly. "Okay." She didn't have the energy in her to argue with him right now.

Sherry, in the meantime was already setting up another tool and she glanced at the corner of her eye as soon as Wesker finished with what he was saying. She furrowed her brow and a small smile touched her lips before she went back to business.

Jonas was facing Rose from behind the glass, his body tense and his words trembling through his lips. "Rose, it's your ol' buddy, Jonas Burton!" he insisted. "I … I mean, I know that you like cheesecake, red wine when it is _exactly_ 20 years old, and you think that Saturday morning cartoons are a ridiculous charade created by man to enslave children!"

Rose snarled at him and slammed her fist against the glass with a defiant shriek to follow. Jonas jumped back with a yelp and he actually looked hurt that time. Rose really didn't know them at all. Sherry caught this look and smiled comfortingly.

"Jonas, something is controlling her," she explained. "Once I figure out just what that is and correct it; she'll be your friend once more."

Rose hissed at her and clawed at the glass, eyes flaring wildly with appetite and mammal fury. Saliva smeared the window as she licked it voraciously. Sherry considered something before she spoke, looking at Jonas again to somehow comfort him.

"Hey, there is plenty of food for you and the others," she offered. "Help yourself while I have a word with Wesker."

Jonas nodded and rushed off to join the others across the warehouse to get something in his stomach. Wesker meanwhile watched Sherry intriguingly, wondering just what it was that she had on her mind right now that she wanted to tell him. He had to guess that she was going to ask about his plans.

"Wesker, if I decide to save this woman's life, what's in it for you?"

Wesker glanced at Sherry with a frown etched on his features. "Why is that of any importance or concern to you, Miss Birkin?" he asked. "It is quite clear that I had nothing to do with the global outbreak, so why lay blame onto me?"

"I wasn't laying any blame onto you," Sherry argued. "I want to know what's been going on with this girl. Why is she the same as you? Why does she possess the same eyes as you do?"

Wesker scowled now. He didn't particularly enjoy having himself interrogated, especially by one such as Sherry Birkin who possessed more wherewithal than he himself did right now.

"The more time we waste talking, the greater the chance Rose will be lost forever," Wesker told her, and then adding in a cruel tone. "Do you want that on your conscience, Sherry?"

Sherry glared at him. That was typical Wesker for you, using the guilt routine to get what he wanted. Well, unfortunately for Sherry, it worked. She was just too soft of a person to let any of that happen.

"No, I suppose not." she finally said.

_Meanwhile_

_BSAA Headquarters_

Jill and Chris returned to base with the information that they had gathered from Atlantic City. They were alive and in one piece, much to Sheva's relief. After hearing Chris' distraught sate over the phone, she had been concerned for his safety the entire time.

"What do you got?" Jason asked, appearing at Sheva's side suddenly.

Chris held up a collection of folders and stared at the chief gravely. "I think we need to take a look at this, pronto."

At the tone of the man, Jason knew that Chris had found something very important for him. He nodded and ushered the two BSAA soldiers into the building for some respite and some food. All around the base, zombies had packed out by the fence that held strong, and every once in a while, a guard would take one down.

As soon as Chris and Jill had something to drink, they exposed the folders to the entire staff of higher up. They were going through scraps of what looked to be a journal of some kind. Every managerial constituent of the BSAA looked disturbed and somber.

"This diary suggests something about a woman," Chris said. "Obviously someone of great importance. Listen," He held up the papers and began to read them out loud. "'It's the first day of her job. I'm a little scared knowing that HE could press that button at any time. He knows that too. He knows that she is too important for us to kill or attempt to arrest should she somehow … lose it'."

Jason grunted with a frown, rubbing his chin with one finger. "Does it have a name listed of who this woman could be?" he asked.

Chris quickly fingered through the documents in hand, his hands trembling the entire time. Jill caught this and quickly came to his aide, helping him go through the papers until he found just what he was looking for. A fax paper that had been torn around the edges and smeared with dried blood.

"There's too much blood on it, but this was a fax that was sent to the woman for delivery confirmation of tests samples. It says Rose, but the rest is too smudged up to give a complete name." Chris told them all.

Jason rose from his chair and gestured to Josh standing in the corner. "Josh!" He stood at attention. "I want you to go over the list of employees with that name at the Atlantic City Research facility and come back with what you can."

Josh nodded. "Yes, sir." He walked out of the room after a quick salute.

Jason turned his attention back to Chris. "Now, about this … Albert Wesker … "

Chris was prepared for the worse right now as soon as all attention was immediately turned to him. After all, he had no believable evidence to hold up to them right now. It was his word and Jill's against theirs and he sounded a little crazy given his problems that he had getting over the entire incident of the past. They would take it all as a terrible joke.

"I am telling you, sir that is who I saw!" Chris insisted. "He has accomplices with him and they've escaped south! I believe that Wesker might be responsible for all of this!"

"And how do you know that?" Jason asked, collecting the documents from the table in one sweep of his hand, "There have been no signs of him in the air, no one has breathed a word of him, he hasn't made any terrorist claims to the BSAA - which I am sure he'd be _real _happy with - and there has been not a single shred of evidence that he is still alive."

"But … "

Jason shook his head. "Chris, there is more at stake here than one man," he told him, sternly. "Get this … Albert Wesker off the brain and get to work looking for the rest of the survivors."

Chris tightened his lips with a restrained frustrated sound in his throat. No one believed him. No one believed that he had seen the tyrant, but Jill. Albert Wesker was still alive and he was going to prove that to Jason.

O

"I found it!"

The triumphant sound in Sherry's voice drew everyone close to her to see what it was she had uncovered. She was cradling a peculiar device in hand and waving it back and forth in front of Rose. She was grinning wickedly at the thing before her, drool dripping down her chin.

"What is it?" Wesker asked.

"There appear to be two metal devices inside her chest and skull," Sherry told them. "I'm picking up on high frequency beta waves. That's what was causing her to attack all of us. Someone's controlling her from another end."

Wesker clenched his teeth behind his closed mouth. He knew it.

"Then how do we switch 'em off?" Jonas asked. "Could we perform surgery to get them out of her?"

"No. Surgery requires a lot of tools and effort and as you can see, we don't have that kind of time," Sherry explained. "I think maybe a high electrical discharge might be enough to fry the chips inside of her."

"Well, then let's do that!" Krauser said, grinning.

Sherry grunted, a little uncertain. She held out one hand to them before they could get too excited about her doubtful plan. "But that's the thing," she continued. "I don't know what it would do to her. I can't say if these chips are connected to her heart or brain. Frying them might only kill her."

Everyone reacted with horror at that option. Wesker's lips parted in a soft gasp. Not even he wanted Rose to perish in such a way and it wouldn't benefit him at all, for he still needed her; however, he couldn't keep her this way forever. And the fact someone was controlling her to kill them made him decide on the idea all together.

"Look at her … " Krauser muttered, gesturing to Rose. "She would want this than be a crazy animal, man. I say we do it."

Wesker nodded at that, against the loud, terrified protests of the Rose's other two friends. It was a risk that they had to take and he knew that Rose would have agreed to this had she been able to have vocalized it herself to them. He knew Rose had a sense of pride about her and she wouldn't want to spend the rest of her days as a monster.

"Do it."

Sherry, despite her reluctance, nodded once to the command. She bent over to retrieve a sent of jumper cables from a desk drawer and walked across the depot to retrieve two car batteries on a pulley. She connected the cables to the batteries and to a small cycling generator in the corner. She gestured to the generator and looked at Jonas briefly before she continued her work, making sure everything was in the correct place.

"Alright, that is operated with the use of a bicycle; I need you to charge it up for me before I let her out."

Jonas paled and climbed onto a bicycle, even against his own mental protests. "You're gonna what?" he exclaimed.

"The cables only go so far," Sherry told him. "And we need to work quickly once she's out of that room." She gave a brief nod to Krauser. "All we need is enough of a charge, enough to short out the chips. So when I say open, do it."

Krauser nodded, back pressed into the wall and hand clenching the metal knob of the door. Jonas panted as he cycled as quickly as he could. Just as Sherry nodded to Krauser, he opened the door and Rose burst from it, snarling like a savage beast. She looked around wildly for prey, her nostrils flaring before she dove right for Wesker.

He was ready for her attack this time, arms coiling around her waist and holding her to him as the force of her tackle slid them hard across the floor. Rose struggled and shrieked, teeth snapping like a steel trap in his face, spittle dripping down the length of his jaw line. He stared at her calmly and coldly, refusing to release her from his grip.

"Dammit, Rose," he hissed. "Get a hold of yourself!"

She grinned at him so suddenly and snarled, her jaws locking onto his throat, teeth sinking into the flesh there. Wesker's eyes snapped wide and a sharp grunt of pain escaped his gritted teeth. Bright crimson blood began to seep from the place where her mouth was latched.

"Shit!" Krauser snapped. "Hang on, boss, I'm coming!" He fired his weapon into the air to alert Rose to him instead. "Hey, get off of him, you bitch! Come and get me!"

Rose glanced back at him with a sharp hiss, obviously all attention diverted to him now. She released her jaws from Wesker and gave him a ferocious kick, sending him sliding across the floor and into the crates before she cracked her neck, turning to the others now. She licked her blood - covered lips and her eyes slowly landed onto Beth.

She was defenseless, no one near her to offer help of any kind. The animal instinct forced into Rose told her that this was a perfect prey. With a roar of blood - thirsty need, she dove through the air and slammed her weight into Beth, sending her scattering across the floor and into the generator.

Jonas yelped and struggled to keep his grip on the machine and continue to power it for as long as he could manage to do.

"Rose, no!" he shouted.

"Rose!" Beth cried, as a hand closed around her throat. She struggled to speak through her closing windpipe. "Rose, please, don't do this!"

Rose snickered dryly down at her and raised her other hand into a flattened pointing motion, one that Wesker was familiar with as he slowly staggered to his feet. It was a technique that he was starting to teach her and one that he was famous for. The Rhino Charge, he had called it. She was still quite sloppy, but she knew how to deliver a fatal blow nonetheless.

"Rose!" Beth begged, eyes swimming with tears and pain. "It's me, your best friend! You know who I am! Please, don't!"

Rose grinned at her and brought the hand down. Beth's eyes squeezed shut as she anticipated brutal death. But it didn't come. She grunted warily and just as she opened her eyes to look, she noticed that Rose's hand had frozen inches from her nose. Beth looked up, confused.

Rose's face was a mask of pain and struggle, eyes trembling and teeth chattering with soft, desperate sounds. There was a small bit of her still there, fighting the control that the unknown man had over her. Her eyes then tightly shut in pain and her lips pulled back in a show of her teeth, a grimace of concentration. She was moaning loudly and struggling with her hand that had been inches from killing Beth.

"B - Beth ... " she choked, "P - Please ... "

"Rose!" Beth cried.

Rose blinked and there was a bit of warmth in her eyes that came and went as quickly as a flash. She moaned and her grip tightened on Beth's throat, a reflexive gesture that spoke of her losing the battle with herself.

"Do it now, Sherry!" Wesker commanded.

Suddenly, Sherry jumped behind Rose and connected the jumper cables to her head and back. The charge was sent clear through Rose's body, drawing a high-pitched scream of agony from her mouth. Her frame spasmed and she released her grip on Beth, jaw locked open as she collapsed to the ground, smoke billowing from her clothes and hair.

The unknown being that watched this noticed the screen that revealed Rose's vision through his computer suddenly filled with static. He simply smiled and leaned back; pressing the tips of his fingers together and a soft chuckle left his lips.

"Perfect … "

O

"Shit!" Jonas cried, rushing at her side. He grunted. "I really hope she doesn't remember that when she's back to normal."

The others joined him and they quickly inspected Rose to see if she was still alright. Wesker turned her onto her back and gave her cheeks a few light pats. Her eyes were wide open and she wasn't moving.

"Rose?" Wesker said, bringing his two fingers to her neck to check for a pulse. There was one … faint. "She's not breathing … "

"Oh shit, that's not good!" Krauser said.

Sherry watched as the two friends of the woman began to verbally freak and she immediately released her hold on the jumper cables. Certain guilt at what she had done was slowly creeping up her spine like a shiver of anguish all in one shot. She had not meant to do this, but it was not her decision to make, but the decision of her own friends.

A loud crash resonated through the air and everyone looked up. The wood that had held one of the windows shut had splintered and three zombies were pouring in. Jonas gasped in horror.

"That's definitely not good!" he cried.

Sherry hurried to her weapon's crate and she quickly loaded a shotgun, pumping it once the bullets were in their proper casing. Wesker watched her curiously and hoisted Rose onto his back. Beth was worried for Sherry now in such a condition.

"Sherry, come with us!" Beth said. "We could really use your help!"

Sherry smiled at her and shook her head. "No. I have to stay," she told her. "My place is here where I can defend those who may still be alive in the city. But I want for you to take the data stick inside my computer. I downloaded everything you'll need to know onto it."

A loud blast from her shotgun took out a zombie that had been sticking its head through the window, taking it clean off in an explosion of guts and blood. Sherry grunted and took a few steps back, but not before removing the memory stick from the drive of her computer and tossing it to Wesker. He stared at her with amazement and she smiled.

"Find the bastard and kill him!" she said.

Wesker smirked at this. Sherry certainly had grown up since the last time that he had seen her. This was a decent, momumentous change in the young girl. Not as self-righteous as some of those he had come to cross paths with. It would be a shame to part with such a valuable asset to his plans, but he had the information that he needed right now.

With that, they rushed out of the warehouse and into the RV, driving away as the zombies took notice and started to pursue, even after the vehicle was long gone. Wesker was performing CPR, alternately compressing Rose's chest fifteen times, quickly, and breathing into her mouth twice.

Jonas and Beth were freaking out, crying and saying silent prayers to themselves that she was going to be alright. Krauser was driving and he glanced into the rear view mirror, brow furrowed with a hint of sympathy only because of how Rose had treated him. She had given him a second chance at life and treated him like a fellow individual. He would surely miss her should she die.

"Come on, Rose." Wesker said softly.

Suddenly, Rose's entire body seized and her eyes widened, blinking rapidly. He pulled away as soon as she coughed several times and even threw up a little to the side of the couch. Everyone grinned in relief and Wesker chuckled softly

"Good girl, Rose," he murmured. "Good girl."

Krauser let loose a whoop. "Alright, girl!" he hollered, laughing. "You got a lot of spirit! Welcome back!"

Beth and Jonas immediately threw their arms around their friend and laughed, tears streaming from their eyes. They were filled with joy and relief that their dear friend Rose Bedford managed to survive another day.

"What … ?" Rose groaned. "What happened?" She looked around. "Where … ?" She winced and held her stomach.

"Rose?" Beth said.

She grunted and gave them all a sheepish smile. "I'm hungry."

They all laughed at that. Even Wesker couldn't actually resist a smirk.

O

_Note_- ^^ Hope you are liking it so far!


	19. Chapter 19: Innocent Moon

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Nineteen: Innocent Moon**

_Harrisonburg, Virginia_

Rose hadn't meant to sleep in so late, but she had and it was going on noon when she looked at the clock on the dashboard. Krauser was inside the RV, cleaning one of his TMP machine guns with a rag and he cocked his head over at her when he noticed that she had woken up. He smiled at her and gestured outside with one hand.

"We found the weapon's cache that he was talking about," he told her. "Wesker's been going through it all day. It's been untouched all this time. You won't believe just what kind of weapons are in there!" He grunted as Rose brushed passed him and stepped outside. Shrugging his shoulders, he went back to work on wiping down the barrel of his gun. "Yeah, and a good morning to you too ... "

Rose discovered Beth and Jonas carrying crates of what looked like ammunition onto the RV. She frowned at the heavy loads. There was quite a bit of ammunition and she wasn't too sure if the RV could carry it all. But either way, Wesker had been right about the cache here and it had more than enough to spare for them and their trip. But that wasn't a concern of hers at the moment. Right now, she wanted to know what had happened after they had left the city. She had no reminiscence of the incidents that took place between her…fits.

"Guys, have you seen Wesker?" Rose asked.

Beth and Jonas immediately dropped their crates and rushed to her side as soon as the words had left her lips. They eagerly inspected her with hugs and pats to see if she was alright.

"Rose, first off, we want to know how you're doing!" Beth said. "You really scared us back there in the city! You have … "

Rose shook her head and raised two hands to them. "Guys, I need to talk to Wesker right now," she interrupted. "It's very important. We'll talk about this and anything else afterwards, alright?"

The two glanced silently at each other, surprised by the sudden change in Rose's voice. That was very unusual for her and often times, she wasn't up for talking to Wesker as soon as she woke up in the morning. Whatever was needed to be said to him must have been of great importance for her to request such a thing right now.

"Um, he's down in the basement checking out the information Sherry left for us on the memory stick, but … " Beth began, gesturing down to the open metal entrance way. "But, I don't think … uh, okay ... " She trailed off and watched Rose disappear into the building without a single bit of say and then looked at Jonas curiously. "She seems like she's fine … I suppose."

"Well, it would probably be a good idea to talk to the big man," Jonas murmured, picking up the ammo boxes. "The guy's been quiet all day anyway and really ain't said too much to any of us. It's starting to get a little creepy for me."

"I think he's upset about the fact that there is someone else stealing his mojo," Beth replied. "Pardon the choice of words."

"Ahhh, the guy's a big baby!" Jonas scoffed, stepping into the RV. "He's probably just got a bad case of hemorrhoids or something from Rose kicking his ass." He grinned and raised a brow in Beth's direction. "Which - - by the way - - was totally and undeniably awesome to watch."

Krauser laughed at that and gestured with the end of his knife, humor and caution in his next words. "Don't let Wesker hear you say that. You know he's not in a good mood today."

"Ahhh, he won't hear me!" Jonas muttered, waving his warning off. "He's too busy 'brooding' like a buffed version of Edward Cullen!" He quoted the last word on two of his fingers.

There was a small shrug from the larger man. "Alright … " Krauser said, chuckling and resuming work on his weapon.

Rose found Wesker sitting at an old, wooden desk behind a laptop beneath the cache. The room was dark and empty, save for the faint glow of a small light hanging above. He was typing quickly and his eyes were shaded behind those dark lenses. But Rose knew that something was bothering him. She could see the quiver in his lips, the tenseness around his eyes, and the trembling in his hands.

"Wesker, what time is it?" she asked.

The typing paused for a brief second. "It is 2:00 in the PM," he replied, voice filled with a bizarre hardness, something that she remembered from the day that they first met. "You slept all day for the most part. Nothing has changed during our trip save for a few detours from infected hordes."

Rose smiled painfully and nodded her head. There was a heavy feeling of anger in the air that surrounded them and for a second, it was almost wavering. Was he angry with her for what she had done or what he angry with the situation? It very well could have been both. She took a step forward.

"I don't remember anything about what had happened the other day." she told him, trying to give him her side of the situation before he felt it necessary to chastise her for no reason.

He glanced at the corner of his shaded lenses, but he said nothing.

"Wesker, what did I do while I was out like that?" she asked, again. Her voice sounded confused and very apprehensive. "I don't remember anything and you're just being really quiet about it. Was it that bad? Did I hurt anyone?"

Wesker's hands froze inches over the keyboard and he sighed once. He smiled thinly and pulled back the collar of his leather shirt, revealing his throat to her. Rose wasn't sure what she was looking at or supposed to be looking at. She saw nothing there at first glance. Finally, after a few moments, she noticed a pastel white set of teeth marks that were visible on the flesh of his neck.

"Oh God … " she gasped, reaching out. "I bit you!"

Wesker slapped her hands away rather harshly. "Don't you touch me." he whispered, with venom in his voice that nearly stung her for a brief second, "I do not take charity from anyone. I merely required a moment's rest that's all. I need to continue with my work and you should begin loading those ammo crates onto the RV with the others."

Rose looked stunned, as if she had just been doused in cold rain. Finally, after a few moments, the areas of her eyes and jaw grew tight. So he was upset? For what reason? Because there was another out there who was far ahead of him? Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that she had wounded him in such a way. Hm. Well, if that were the case, he was being a baby about it.

"So that's it, is it?" she hissed. "You're just going to sit there and stew over one mistake?"

Wesker chuckled coldly and smiled sarcastically. "You don't understand anything, Rose," he snapped. "So don't pretend that you do."

Rose grinned angrily and raised her brows in challenge. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Oh! Okay, I see where this is going," she sneered. "You don't like the fact that there's a bigger dick waving around out there and you're sitting here pouting over it like a little baby! Wow, and here I thought that you couldn't get any more pathetic!"

Wesker glared at her and she could see the red of his eyes swirling behind his glasses, a sign of his increasing rage. She was pushing it with him, that was obvious.

"Stop it." he ordered. "And you had better wipe that stupid smile off of your face!"

Rose smirked. "Are you afraid or aren't you?"

"I will not allow you to lecture me."

Rose knew that he was getting angry now. His muscles were flexing and tensing, almost as if he were fighting the urge to punch her in the face. But Rose knew that he was trying to have some form of control over his own anger, so there was nothing to concern herself with there.

"Well, what do you want, then?" she snapped. "Do you want to do something about this asshole behind all of this, or pout like a 2 year old baby?"

"Just leave me to my work, Rose." Wesker said, voice filled with dark venom. Oh, he sounded furious. "Just let me be right now."

Wesker returned his attention to the laptop and resumed typing, the patting of fingers on keyboards the only sound that there was in the room. He could still feel Rose's presence beside his chair and didn't catch a slight heaving of her chest and a trembling of her fists; a sign of a building vehemence rising itself in the young woman.

"You son of a bitch … "

Suddenly, Rose's hands seized him by the shoulders and she shoved him against the wall, drawing a sharp grunt from his lips. He stared up at her furiously, meeting her glowing red eyes with his. Her teeth were gritting terribly and her nostrils flaring.

"You want _me_ to leave _you_ alone?" she spat. "Wesker, I tried, day after day to get you to leave me alone and you refused to do so even during the off chance that I was upset, just like you are being right now! And then you make me inhuman just to torment me and pretend like I am your little play toy, and all of a sudden, you're going to keep secrets?"

Wesker's lips tightened and a deep rumbling sound filled his chest. He wanted to shut her up here and now. But obviously, he was going to have more control over the situation and not lash out the way she wanted him too based purely on emotion. That was not his style of handling a situation; doing something purely at the desire of another being.

"Be glad that I made you what you are, Rose. You'd be dead now if I hadn't, just like that damned dog, Kirk!" he whispered darkly, leaning slightly forward in his seat. "Now, take your hands off of me before I drop you where you stand."

Without really thinking, Rose drew back her hand and slapped him right across the face. The sound echoed richly clear through the dark chambers. Wesker's face was slightly red from the force of the slap and he watched as she turned to go. Suddenly, he dove at her with a furious roar and wrapped his arm around her throat in a wicked choke - hold and pinned her arms behind her back.

Rose winced sharply from the hold and fell to the floor, face - first with a shout of frustration and anger. She struggled beneath him and he glared down at her, a cold smirk touching his lips. His hair had gone slightly out of place and his eyes were glowing red behind his glasses. He pressed his boot into her back, drawing a yelp from her.

"You're still so very careless, Rose!" he sneered. "Do not start a confrontation if you are not willing to end it! You are ruled by your human emotions and that is what makes an individual a weakling capable of being overcome by the simplest of situations. But believe me when I say that they will fade away in time, just as they had with me. They always do."

Rose snarled malevolently. "I'll NEVER BE YOU!"

Wesker watched her for a few brief moments and a light smile touched his lips. It wasn't really mocking now. He chuckled softly and shook his head. Such a wild hellcat this one was. She had spirit and strength in her that even HE himself had never had before during his time as an … inhuman being. Maybe that was why he found her so fascinating.

"You will," he promised her. "Because you made the choice to live, Rose. And now, you must deal with that…and everything that goes with it."

He released her and stood up, watching as the infuriated woman stormed out of the building in a huff, bursting out explicit words between snarls and hisses and not even giving him a second glance. As soon as she disappeared outside, Wesker returned all interest to the information at the laptop. The sooner he found what he was looking for, the better things would be.

O

Krauser had opened up several cans of canned chili from the back of the RV while Beth prepared it on the stove to cook. It was preheat chili, but still good enough for all of them, so it was finished in just a few minutes. She whistled softly to herself and poured a few bowls for everyone. Wesker was still in the small building while this was happening. He had not talked to anyone all day.

"Hey!" Krauser called, from the back. "I found a bottle of some Louisiana hot sauce! Now that makes for a good damn day!" He unscrewed the lid and poured some of the red sauce into a bowl. "Chili is not chili without a little extra kick to it."

Jonas cocked his head with a smirk after Krauser had finished pouring in quite a bit of hot sauce into the food. He reached out with one hand, feeling a little bit daring.

"Hey, let me try that."

Krauser's brows rose and he smirked, offering the bowl to Jonas. "You sure you can handle it, little man?" he said. "There's an awful lot of sauce in there. It might burn those feminine taste buds out of your mouth."

Jonas laughed arrogantly and held the bowl to his lips, picking up his own spoon from the counter top. "Please, Jonas Burton can handle all things hot and spicy, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers!" He took a big, heaping spoonful of chili and shoveled it into his mouth, earning a disgusted grimace from Beth. He grinned and chewed the food a little bit.

"Jonas, that's disgusting!" Beth snapped.

"It tastes pretty good to me," Jonas murmured, shrugging his shoulders and speaking between mouthfuls of food.

Krauser and Beth stared at him, half - amused and half - disgusted as bits of chili dribbled down the length of his jaw. Krauser could only grin and shake his head as Jonas continued chewing.

"Ahhh, this ain't all that bad," he said. "It's a little more tingly than hot, you know … " He grunted and his features tightened, but he attempted to keep his cool, even though sweat was beading down his forehead. "It's just a bit … "

"You wanna go to the bathroom?" Beth guessed.

Jonas nodded and took off for the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. "Oh, my sweet Mother of God! I swallowed hot lava!" he cried, from behind the door.

"Pussy!" Krauser hollered back to him.

Rose entered the RV just as soon as Jonas had started guzzling down the contents of a water bottle. She raised her brows at that, but finally took a seat next to Krauser's side. He leaned over and took a bowl of chili, offering it to her which she kindly waved off with one hand. He shrugged one shoulder and placed the bowl back.

"Hey, Krauser," she said. "You've known Wesker a whole lot longer than all of us here. Mind filling me in on what runs through his hard head sometimes? He's down in the cache having a bitch fit over the fact that someone else stole his thunder."

"That's not why he's pissed."

"Then why is he upset?" Rose asked. "He's man enough to tell you how he feels, but not me. Go figure." Krauser snickered slightly and she glared at him sharply. "WHAT?"

"You talk about him like he's your husband or something." he replied, taking a sip of his chili.

"I DO NOT!" Rose shouted, nearly causing him to spill his food all over the floor from the volume of her shout that had startled him. "Don't even say something so stupid like that again."

Krauser just shrugged calmly and reached over to the couch to grab a kitchen rag to clean his face up. "Look, the boss has an issue because he thinks that someone who should have been dead is the one behind all of this," he told them. "That's what's got him freaked out, more or less. He's used to being in control and when he isn't, he's a little less than happy."

The three looked at one another, confused before they looked back at Krauser.

"But what gives him that idea?" Beth asked.

Krauser shrugged his shoulders. "See, we don't have definite proof yet," he pointed out. "It's just the boss' intuition. He THINKS that this guy's behind all of this, so he wants to find out as much as he can from Sherry's data as soon as possible before we make the next move."

_Meanwhile_

Chris and Jill were en route to follow the trail that Wesker had taken, sitting inside a BSAA Jeep. They had a laptop cradled in between them both and the seats, trying to pay attention to the road and do research at the same time. They were watching Josh's face on screen and his movements as he was performing his research on Rose for them.

"Anything at all?" Chris asked.

"_Only one result came up in the research,_" Josh told him. _"She is Rose Lenore Bedford, age 23, marital status: Single. The files here have quite a bit on her background. Studies show that she was top in her class at a private school. For some strange reason, the school remains unlisted. She grew up in foster care underneath a former Umbrella researcher Charles Albert Bedford."_

Chris frowned thoughtfully. "What about her status in the department?"

Josh nodded and glanced down at his screen. "She held the security clearance of S - hmm, she must have been an important individual - she has her share of troubles; she's got a rough driving record and her criminal background is pretty extensive; assault, drunk driving - whew - criminal mischief charges, she's done it all. The worst that she has ever done was public disturbance and that was in a verbal disagreement with a police officer. Reasons are unknown."

"Do you think that she's connected to Wesker?" Jill asked, giving Chris a sideways glance.

Josh frowned at that and he looked thoughtful for a moment. "_I don't know exactly, and I have not been able to find further information on what to tell you about the diary, Chris,_" he continued. "_Rose has nothing to indicate that it could have been her behind all of this. Still … she was the only Rose listed inside the facility's list of employees. I will continue my search until I find what we need._"

Chris nodded. "Alright. We're counting on you, Josh."

Josh smiled and returned his attention to the computers that held all of his research data on screen. The laptop screen cut out his signal and resumed the constant rotating screensaver of the BSAA logo. Chris heaved a gentle sigh and Jill glanced at him, sensing that something was bothering him. She didn't have to be psychic or a shrink to figure out what it was.

"You haven't gotten over it, have you, Chris?" she said.

Chris sniffed slightly through his congested nostrils. The wind and dust collecting in his path was blocking up his sinuses. That wasn't something he needed right now, so he simply fought the urge to sneeze and rubbed his nostrils with one thumb.

"Well who has, Jill?" he asked, giving her a quick look. "He's … he's never going to stop, no matter what we do or try to do. I don't know how he managed to have survived that blast, but we're going to end him here, once and for all."

Jill nodded in agreement. "This is it then," she replied. "The last time."

O

Wesker had finally returned to the RV once the moon was up and full; he noticed that Rose had taken on guard duty position tonight, perched on top of the vehicle like a silent night owl. He cocked his head and opened his mouth to speak, but Rose stopped him and spoke before he could even start.

"I gave Krauser a break from duty tonight," she told him; her voice was laced with an edge to it. "Everyone's already asleep and it's been clear tonight. Oddly quiet … "

It was quiet below and her only reply was the silence that followed. Hah. What did she expect? He had a way of trying to prove that he was right and she was wrong. Why would today be any different? His pride was beginning to get on her nerves.

With a soft grunt, Wesker jumped into the air and he was suddenly crouched low beside her onto the RV. Rose dared a small glance at the side and noticed that he had removed his glasses tonight. Wow. That was something that he didn't do too much. He was staring straight ahead, focused on something that she clearly didn't see.

"It's him."

Rose stared at him questionably. "What?"

"I have reason to believe that he is still alive." Wesker inhaled softly. " … The one who 'made' us … Do you know who I speak of?"

Rose was surprised that he was finally acting civil after all day of being quiet. Maybe he just needed some time to clear his head a bit. Well, she could deal with that, at least. She took a moment to think about what he had said and shook her head. Wesker just chuckled and stared straight ahead once more.

"No, you wouldn't." he replied. "Because it predates you. He was the founder of Umbrella…the creator of the T - Virus and our … " His next words were bitter and forced. "_Master_ … Ozwell E. Spencer." He looked at her again. "Have you ever even heard of his name?"

Rose nodded and licked her lips once to wet them. "Um … well yeah … " she said. "My dad used to talk about him sometimes when I was little. I was just a kid, then, so I don't really know much about the guy, but he used to argue about him over the phone a lot." She blinked as a memory moved through her head quickly.

_Rose, 10 years old watched her father cursing and swearing angrily at someone in the doorway of their house. He was shouting furious words at a man in a coat and mask. Rose hid behind a corner so as not to be seen. _

" … _She's not ready yet!" her father was shouting. _

_Rose could only hear small fragments of what was going on between the two people, but she knew that they were about her. _

" …_ We know that she's intelligent enough to start soon … "_

"_NO! You can't do this to her!"_

"_You took responsibility when you took her in … "_

_And then, Rose could make out a third voice, slightly aged. "I can push the button whenever I want to, Charles! Remember this well … "_

Rose snapped out of her memory and stared down at her own hands. She was quiet for a minute before she continued, glancing over at Wesker.

"I remember someone speaking of a button that would be pushed if he stepped too far out of line," she continued. "But that's really all I can remember about … _that_." She referred to her going insane at the warehouse the other day. She paused for a moment and furrowed her brow. "What about you? I mean, I don't know anything about you, really and all you've done was ask about me."

Wesker raised a brow at the odd request before he exhaled and decided that it couldn't hurt to share some of what he knew with her. "I don't recall my parents," he told her, looking out to the horizon. "I was taken from my mother when I was a baby; even then, I knew that my 'parents' were not my real parents. I was too intelligent for that. Spencer knew that he could never really fool me."

_A younger Wesker, 7 years was standing in the school playground, glaring up at two bigger boys who were pushing him and mocking him with cruel jeers and taunts about being a motherless boy. He just wanted to be left alone, but it seemed that they wouldn't have that at all. Wesker's child - like eyes were dark and filled with a peculiar hatred that no child should every have. _

"I was know to have had … a bit of an impulsiveness to me when I was a boy," Wesker continued. "I tended to solve most of my childhood problems with my fists. I had a short fuse, as it were. Sort of like what you possess now."

Rose chuckled. "Wow, we really are opposite."

An amused smile. "Indeed."

_Wesker went animal on the two boys. He jumped onto one, tackling him to the ground and punched him over and over in the nose. His punches drew blood and even broke a few teeth and it took two teachers to pull him away from the wailing injured lad. In the distance, a much younger Spencer was watching, amused. _

"Upon my return home, HE told me that I would have to learn not to allow myself to act so rashly," Wesker said. "He wanted to show me the better things that he had to offer…Like an employment future with Umbrella."

_Wesker and Spencer were walking down a large foyer of the Spencer Estate where various Umbrella employees were passing by with folders and tests. Wesker looked around at the scene before him._

"_You know, Albert," Spencer said, chuckling, interrupting the boy's gazing. "You can get back at people like that without having to resort to such physical violence."_

"_How do I do that?" Wesker asked._

_Spencer stopped in front of a portrait of himself and smiled back at Wesker. He gestured to the portrait once. Even at a young age, the boy didn't see why he had to have a portrait of himself and saw the arrogance behind such a thing._

"_While violence is a secondary means of ensuring that we get what we want, the world can be claimed through a more … passive means." he continued. "Follow me and I'll show you what I'm talking about."_

_Curious, the boy followed Spencer down a long corridor filled with sterile rooms, men in coats and bright lights. He looked around and gaped at everything before him, never having seen this before up until now. Spencer had begun to talk to another doctor and failed to notice that the boy at his side had wandered off into another room. _

_After they had finished with the conversation, Spencer looked back and noticed that Wesker had walked into the room filled with various doctors and tubes of irregular fluid. He was staring down at a rabbit specimen and the clipboard and frowning slightly. _

"_What are you doing in here, kid?" a doctor snapped, taking Wesker's arm and started to pull him out of the room. "You can't be in here! This is dangerous for … "_

"_It's wrong … " Wesker said, confused. _

"It was then that I sealed the fate of that poor man that day."

_Spencer stared down at the boy and then up to the doctor. A thin smile touched his lips and it wasn't particularly kind. "What do you mean, Albert?" he asked. "Show me." _

"_He doesn't know what he's talking about, sir … " the doctor stammered. There was a strange fear in his voice that went over the younger boy's head at the moment._

_"Oh, let him have his fun, doctor," Spencer told him, gently, "After all, if you are not incorrect and he is wrong, then you have nothing to concern yourself with."_

_"Y - Yes sir ... "_

_Wesker moved over to the clipboard and began to scribble something hastily down with a pen. Spencer and the uneasy doctor watched him carefully as he worked. When he was finished, Wesker held out the board to Spencer, who carefully took it into one hand. _

"_The measurements are incorrect," Wesker told him. "The cells divide entirely too rapidly for a secondary exposure to be necessary. A secondary exposure would cause mutation out of control." _

_Spencer studied the clipboard and realized that Wesker's deduction had been correct after all. He decided to put his theory to the test and smirked down at him._

"_And what of the mutation consequences?" he asked._

_Wesker looked toward the rabbit host. "Spiked aggression, strength … stamina … " he replied. "But if a second dose was added in such a small host with improper balance, the results would fail."_

_Spencer chuckled and looked up at the whimpering doctor, who looked as if he was going to wet his pants right there. "Thank you, my boy. That's all that I needed to know."_

"Only afterwards did I develop a deep - rooted aspiration to continue with Umbrella's research to serve for my own benefit," Wesker murmured. "It was imprinted in me as a child and I choose to accept it on my own terms, not on his."

Rose had been listening the entire time and shrugged her shoulders. "But what about … us … ?" she asked. "I mean, what was the overall goal of the Wesker children? I guess I should say what did this old bastard want out of us?"

Wesker opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and cocked his ear toward something. Rose frowned at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Listen … "

Rose scoffed. "Why do you always change the subject?"

Ignoring her, Wesker scaled down the length of the RV and took a few steps toward a dark road. He smiled and cocked his head, pleased with something. Rose watched him, confused.

"Wesker?" she called out to him, "Wha … " But she trailed off as soon as she heard it too. A vehicle approaching.

The jeep appeared over the hillside and Wesker's grin broadened.

"Chris … "

Sure enough, it was Chris and Jill. They noticed Wesker in the road and their eyes grew wide with gasps.

"WESKER!" they shouted.

O

_Note_-Eee…this is getting good, even for me! LOL. Haven't updates in a bit because I was sick with a cold. HELLOOOOO WINTER, you big white, homicidal bitch.


	20. Chapter 20: Lost Cause

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty: Lost Cause**

_Harrisonburg, Virginia_

"Chris … I thought you'd never find me."

Wesker smirked as Jill and Chris hurried from their Jeep, handguns at the ready. Ahhh, it seemed as if they would never learn a thing. They began to fire shot after shot and Wesker saw the bullets coming at him as if they were going in slow movement. He dodged each shell with his "super speed", an ability that felt a lot like teleportation to him. All that he did was think about the movement and he was from point A to point B in a matter of a second.

Inside the RV, the sounds had reached the sleeping people.

"Ah! Drive by!" Jonas shouted, startled entirely out of sleep. He fell from his spot on the couch and flat to the floor with a grunt and a muted thud. "Ouch ... "

"Shit, hurry and get up!" Krauser shouted, stepping over him.

Beth and Krauser hurried over to the front windshield to take a look outside and survey the scene before them. They noticed the two BSAA members and then glanced at each other.

"Hey, have you seen those guys before or ever hear of 'em?" Krauser asked. "They got BSAA written on their Jeep."

Beth nodded and leaned forward, watching as Chris exchanged something verbally with Wesker. "I've heard of these guys, but I've never actually gotten associated with them through the job."

"Well, who cares who they are!" Krauser growled, slapping a hand on the dashboard. "Let's go!"

Outside, Chris and Jill were tossed into the Jeep with simultaneous grunts from Wesker's strength. Just as Chris climbed to his feet and aimed his weapon at Wesker again, something moved quickly from behind him and sent his weapon scattering across the ground. Jill tried to find the source of the attack, but ended up in the same situation with her weapon beside Chris'.

Chris looked up at the secondary attacker, too stunned to even retaliate and he was flipped through the air, contacting nothing but a mouthful of dirt and mud. He winced and glanced over, noticing that Jill was lying beside him in the same way; pinned with her arms behind her back. Rose was pinning them down with ease and frowning angrily.

"Who the hell are you two?" she demanded, eyes roving over their struggling forms, "And what are you doing shooting your guns up like that? Do you want to draw those creatures after us?"

Chris' eyes snapped wide and he struggled to glance back at Rose, but she kept her foot against his back, keeping him from even moving an inch in his spot. "Let us go and we'll be willing to explain everything, I swear!" he insisted. He grimaced and struggled, muttering under his breath. "Goddamn it … this girl's strong … What the hell?"

Rose gave Wesker a look to see if he was alright with that and he nodded, indicating that it was fine. She released her grip on the two and they immediately got to their feet, spinning around to see their new attacker.

Rose stared at them skeptically as they ogled her for several moments. "What?" she snapped. "Got an eye problem?"

"Oh my God … " Chris gasped, studying Rose and Wesker, observing their similarities with horror and disbelief. "Their eyes … they're the same … How is that even ... "

Jill studied both super humans with him, eyes widened as well.

"What the hell's going on out here?" Krauser demanded, as he, Jonas and Beth appeared from the RV.

Chris and Jill looked around them only to realize that they were surrounded. It was obvious that these people were not hostages and they were in no danger from Wesker. Chris and Jill were outnumbered.

"You aren't his hostages?" Jill asked, eyes landing on the humans.

Jonas furrowed his brow, like she was crazy for even suggesting such a thing to them. "Hostages?" He laughed. "No! We're just surviving and trying to find this gu-"

Krauser slugged him in the stomach with one fist to shut him up. "Tell 'em your shoe size, why don't ya'?" he snapped, in a low whisper.

Wesker smiled at Chris. "Like it or not, I had nothing to do with all of this, Chris, which is why I am sure that you are here to begin with," he told him. "There is another out there who has caused the destruction of civilization as we know it and sadly, I had no part in it. So I'm sorry to burst your bubble, my old, misinformed friend."

Chris scowled and pointed one finger at him. "You're a damn liar, Wesker!" he snapped. "You had something to do with this, I know you did! But what I don't know is how you survived the volcano, but I'm gonna be damn sure that never happens again."

Wesker smirked down at him. Chris had gotten close enough in his face and looked like he was willing to lash out at any second. He was such a fool and so very misguided. Wesker enjoyed tormenting Chris and even now, the idea that he wasn't behind this made Chris even crazier. Perhaps it hadn't been a total loss on his part.

"Hey, I was with him the entire time," Rose stepped in, shaking her head and trying to calm the man down before they started fighting again. "He couldn't have done any of this."

Chris met her gaze and glared at her. "And how do you know?" he demanded.

Rose scowled now and shrugged her shoulders. "I found his cold, rotting corpse in the ocean!" she snapped, throwing both of her arms in the air. "Something like this would have had to take extreme planning and years of funding! Think about it; how could he have done any of that when he was a dead fish in the water all this time?"

Chris didn't want to admit to that, but it sounded very logical now that he gave it some real thought. Wesker smirked at his conflicted expression and tsked with pity, shaking his head.

"Poor, deluded Chris," he sneered. "You thought for sure that you had it all figured out, didn't you?" He inhaled and continued to grin. "I bet no one believed you when you proposed that I was still alive. I bet they thought you were insane, didn't they?"

Chris clenched his teeth and snarled.

"So what's the situation, anyway?" Beth asked, looking at Chris and changing the subject. "Is this happening everywhere?"

Chris softened and nodded sadly. "It is."

"And we have no leads on whose behind all of this," Jill added. "Whoever is doing this is keeping silent about it; no signs of terrorism of any kind, no demands, nothing."

"So any ideas at all?" Beth asked, not really a question, but more of a rhetorical observation.

"Nothing comes to mind," Jonas said, scratching his head.

Beth raised a brow at him. "Now _there's_ a surprise!"

Jonas gave her a sideways glare and a murmur of irritation to follow. Krauser simply snickered at the jibe and shook his head.

"The situation seems to be quite bleak for all of us," Wesker replied. "Perhaps it's best if we - - "

Chris glowered at him and his voice was nearly hushed with surprise. "You're not suggesting that we join sides, are you?" he demanded. "Did you have an epiphany or something? That after your death you suddenly want to play buddy - buddy?"

Wesker smiled at him. "You mistaken my generosity for regret, Chris," he replied. "I only offer the idea of union to you and Valentine because it will better suit my purposes, not for you at all."

Rose nodded. She had to agree with Wesker on this one. Joining up teams would grant them a better chance at survival.

"Good idea," she said. "The more hands the better."

Chris scowled and shook his head. "No! I will not work with him!"

Wesker grinned. "You couldn't handle it."

Rose's eyes flickered between red and orange and she pushed the two apart with both hands on their chests. They looked willing to attack each other again, but she wasn't having it, especially since there could be an attack from anywhere at any time.

"Look, I have no idea what beef you two had in the past," she snapped. "But I think we can all agree that there are SLIGHTLY more pressing matters at hand here. So let's put the guns away, shake hands and work together to survive this."

Wesker and Chris' eyes met and Wesker just smirked at his tormented expression.

O

The RV continued down the darkened road, the BSAA Jeep attached to the back of it, Chris and Jill were inside, watching the others curiously and cautiously. Rose looked a little bit uncomfortable by the looks, hoping that they wouldn't start a fight in the moving vehicle. Jonas was smiling though and he looked ready to burst at any second.

"Chris Redfield … " he said, eagerly. "Let me just start by saying that I think you are … the SHIT!"

Chris smiled awkwardly and nodded at the compliment. "Thank you."

"No, man, I'm serious!" Jonas insisted, grinning. "I heard so much about you through the internet! You are a legend! I'm totally stoked over the chance to meet you! I'm geeking out!"

Krauser smirked and leaned over to Rose, who was driving the RV. "Think he's in love?" he joked.

Rose chuckled at that. "I've never seen him this excited since he met Steven Segal at a television convention in Reno." She gave Krauser a look when he raised a brow. "Don't ask. He was excited and had one too many Red Bulls."

Chris looked each and every one of the individuals in the RV. "So … what do you do?" he asked.

Beth held up one hand. "Beth Underwood. Cellular Biology Technician and Animal Physiology Expert."

Jonas grinned. "Jonas Burton. Chemical Physicist."

Rose looked back at them. "Rose Bedford. Head of the Research Department and Weather Analyst."

Krauser was opening a beef jerky stick and looked back. "Jack Krauser. Former United States government agent. Now I'm freelance." He took a bite and spoke between chews. "You shoulda seen me before all this shit!" He gestured to his own mutated features.

Chris and Jill looked at each other for a moment before Chris glanced over toward Rose. She was quiet the entire time, as was Wesker. Something was bothering him and he just had to ask her before he would blurt it out at the worse possible time. He looked at Jill and patted her knee.

"I have to talk to her about something," he whispered. "Do you mind?"

Jill shook her head.

As Chris was getting up and asking if Krauser could let him take his seat, Wesker's eyes rose and he watched the scene from above his glasses. He had his face buried in his laptop and his finger was digging slightly into the mouse pad. He didn't like the sight of those two talking about affairs that were clearly none of his business.

Chris sat down beside Rose and gave her a faint smile; there was nervousness there, a small glimmer of it. "Hi," he said. "Listen, I needed to talk to you about some things. Is that alright?"

Rose smiled, but there was certain wariness to it when she did. She wasn't sure if she'd be prepared to answer all of his questions at the top of her head or be ready for the real personal ones if he would ask them. "Sure, I guess."

Chris nodded. "Well, Jill and I were on a mission to seek out any survivors off the west coast, and in our research, we stumbled upon your name in the Atlantic Research Facility employee files."

Chris noticed a strange warmth cross Rose's features. There and gone again like lightning for reasons unknown. She waited for a brief minute, listening to Jonas' continuous geeking - out fits in the back with Jill before she spoke.

"Okay … "

Chris continued. "We think that this whole thing has something to do with you, Rose, if only just a small part anyway," he said. "We need to know if you know anything about what's been going on."

Rose scoffed and gave him a skeptical frown. "If I knew, do you think that I'd be looking?"

Chris chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't, huh?" he murmured. He waited again before he spoke. This time, there was curiosity in his voice; a kind of curiosity that even he could not resist. "What's it feel like?"

Rose looked confused. "What's what feel like?"

"Being … " He gestured vaguely to his own face. "Well … like him. Being like Wesker, I mean. What does it feel like being what you are? Do you still feel any bit of human at all?"

Rose looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to describe how she felt. It was more difficult than she thought. "Huh ... Well … hm … I guess it doesn't feel all that different really," she replied. "I still feel like me, except I see things going on twice as fast, my blood feels twice as hot as it did when I was a … normal person anyway. My heart beats a little faster. So yeah, I don't see how that chances my personality. So I'm still me."

Chris had to ask because Wesker had changed so much after he had become…well, different and superhuman. He was curious to see if that was the cause of the virus or just a matter of choice. To his dismay that he kept mentally hidden, it had been due to choice. Wesker had let himself become a monster, where as this woman had not. So there really was not even a small hope in changing him for the better.

"Ah, I see," he said, shaking his head. "Okay, that's all that I needed to know."

Rose glanced back toward the room where Wesker was and his eyes were flashing red with anger. His lips were tightened and his jaw set. She had obviously said something to Chris that Wesker didn't want him to know. Ahhh, he was always mad about something. It was a lost cause with him. No matter her intentions, she would always do something wrong to the tyrant to get him pissed.

_He'll just have to get over it,_ she thought.

Finally, her eyes drew to the road and they widened. She slammed on the breaks and everyone was practically lurched from the force, tumbling to the side like bowling pins. Once they managed to get to their feet, they glared in Rose's direction, stunned.

"Rose! What the hell?" Krauser snapped. "What gives?"

"Someone's out there." Rose said, gesturing to the empty fields. "They need help!"

Beth blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?"

Krauser scowled at her as she unbuckled her seat belt. "Are you insane?" he snapped. "We can't go out there now! There might be a horde of those things out in that field! It's wide open!"

Rose stared back at him sternly. "There's someone out there who needs help, Krauser," she told him, opening the front door of the RV. "You can come with me, or sit here and wait. That's up to you." And with that, she disappeared outside.

Chris and Jill moved quickly behind her. "Jill let's split up and take the opposite sides of Rose," he told her. "If there's survivors, report immediately when you find them. If you run into an infected and require backup, I'll be on it."

Jill smiled and nodded. "You got it."

O

Rose walked through the dark fields, eyes scanning every tree in the distance, every blade of wheat, and every passing dust particle. She knew that someone was out here; she would have to keep looking.

And then, a loud scream filled the air and that was all that it took for Rose as she tore from her spot toward the sound ahead of her. It sounded like a child. It sounded like a little boy.

"Hang on!" she shouted.

There was a strange dog there, crouched and ready to spring onto a small boy huddled against a tree. Its body had rotted away from top to bottom to the bone and its flesh dangling uselessly from its jaws. Pale white eyes signaled out the prey before it and it arched its back, ready to lunge.

Rose moved fast to save the child from death's waiting jaws. She hurried up and kicked the dog hard in the ribs, sending it tumbling across the dirt. Stunned, it rolled and moved back onto all fours and snarled at her now. Rose was quick, though. She removed the handgun in her boot and fired a shot directly at its head. Its skull erupted in a burst of blood and gore and its body collapsed into the ground.

The boy glanced up at Rose in surprise. "Who are you?" he asked.

Rose smiled down at him. "I'm Rose. I'm here to help you." She looked around for any signs of others and then, looked back down at the boy. "Is anyone else with you? Where are your parents?"

The boy looked around, as if he was worried that more of those dogs would show up while their guard was down and eat them both. He was too frantic to consider Rose's eyes or her super strength.

"I was with my dad and a few other people, but our car wrecked and we got split up," he told her. "I don't know where they're at … !" He grabbed her arm and spoke pleadingly. "Please, help me find my dad!"

Rose smiled gently. "Don't worry, we will, just as soon as we get you some food and water."

She took the boy back to the RV where Chris and Jill already were, their search apparently successful. They had three people with them and they looked exhausted, wounded and hungry. The boy was looking around for his father, but he couldn't see him among the ground of adults.

"Dad?" he stammered.

Chris gestured in the distance, and spoke to the recovering people. "We have a few camps stationed not too far from here," he told them. "You'll be safe there while you recover."

Rose listened as Chris explained the condition and the solution that would help get these people to safety while Jill passed out water bottles and small bags of what looked like sugar breaded cakes. She exhaled and glanced over at Beth and Jonas, dismayed. Rose knew that the idea running through her head was possibly the best choice for them both if it meant their own safety.

"Hey, Chris?" she said, walking up to him.

He looked at her, stepping back so the three and the boy could get something in their stomachs.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"This camp that you mentioned, is it safe?" Rose wasn't looking at him, but staring straight ahead. She seemed to be thinking hard about something; the future perhaps.

Chris caught the look and knew just what it was that was going through her head. He nodded and gave her a piteous smile, knowing that given her friends, it must have been a little hard for her.

"Yes, it is," he explained. "We've got men stationed at every gate and the building is properly secure with electrified fences and traps. Nothing can get in or out of there."

Rose looked at Beth and Jonas and they knew instantly what she was thinking. Beth shook her head and Jonas grunted in surprise at the idea. There was no way that they'd leave Rose.

"We're staying with you, Rose!" Jonas said. "Just because something looks safe doesn't mean we want to be there without you!"

Rose stared at them sadly. "Guys, I'd understand if you'd want out of this," she told them. "I'd feel better knowing that you were safe from harm. You guys are all that I got left. I can't risk losing you."

Beth smiled at her. "Rose, we're with you to the end," she said. "We're not going."

Chris chuckled softly and nodded his approval. "She's lucky to have friends like you to cheer her on," he told them. "I think it would be best for everyone if you did stay together."

Those words held more significance to Wesker than the other three. He knew that Chris was afraid; afraid of what Rose could be like without anyone she knew left in her life. He feared that she would succumb to darker ways of thinking, just like he had; nothing to gain, nothing to lose.

He chuckled mockingly and shouldered his way in front of Chris, facing him with his nose inches from his.

"You are afraid." he stated.

Chris looked defensive now. "Of what?"

Wesker opened his mouth to speak, and then the sound of the boy's cry filled the air, interrupting them. He was rushing over toward a wincing, slouched man in the field. Rose hurried and followed him. The man was dressed in a thin, denim jacket and a brown fedora hat. His jeans were torn at the knees and ankles.

"Dad!" the boy cried, happily.

His father snarled, holding his shoulder that seemed to cause him great pain. He gave the boy a rough push, sending him toppling flat on his bottom. Rose as well as the others reacted with shock. All but Wesker; he smiled as if he understood even without asking.

"What's your problem?" Rose demanded, seizing the man's arm. "Why'd you push him?"

The man glared up at her. "None of your damned business!" he spat. He started to give her a push and his angry look melted away into sorrow, one he made sure that she was the only one who saw.

Rose furrowed her brow and glanced down at the arm that he had been holding tightly. She peeled back the sleeve of his jacket, only to reveal sticky strands of pus, blood and a massive bite that he had attempted to wrap up with his handkerchief. Her eyes went wide and she stared at him. He stared back with despair. It made sense now.

O

"How long have you been bitten?" Rose demanded, in a hushed whisper behind the RV.

"I think it was about two hours ago … " the man said, ashamed. "I couldn't … I couldn't go to him. I couldn't let my baby boy see me like this." Sorrow and choking sobs echoed from him, "He's already lost everyone … his mother, sister … brother … "

While this was going on, Wesker and Chris watched her from a solid distance at the jeep where the three people and the boy were waiting to depart.

"She's not weak, you know." Chris finally said.

Wesker glared down at him, voice laced with irritation. "What?" he snapped.

"Valuing life is not weakness," Chris told him. "You'd understand if you still cared about your human nature. It may have faded away when you became a monster, but she still has hers. That doesn't make her weak. And disregarding it is not strength." He gave Wesker a look. "It only proves that you're weaker than she will ever be."

"Shut your mouth." Wesker snapped.

Chris glared up at him, but the smile on his face didn't match. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were getting riled up."

Rose ignored the bash between the two men and continued to try and talk to the man about what they were going to do about the boy.

"What should I do?" the man mumbled.

"Tell him the truth." Rose said, sternly.

The man moaned softly, shaking his head. "I was never good at that; you know…" he said, bitterly. "Never. I only told people what they wanted to hear because I couldn't tell them the truth…" Soft sobbing sounds filled the thickened air. "It's too soon…!"

Rose furrowed her brow. "Too soon?" she snapped, appalled by the words, "It's never too soon to tell that boy how much he means to you and assure him that it will all be alright."

The man stared miserably up at her. "But it won't!" he protested.

Rose felt ice welling up in her ribs. Her throat felt heavier and her eyes stung somewhat. "At least he has a father to tell him that…" She shut her eyes tightly and forced herself to look in the direction of the others, making sure he didn't see the emotion in her eyes.

The man slowly staggered toward the Jeep where his son waited. "Sammy?" he called. "Sammy, we need to talk about something impo - - " His last words faded into a low groan of agony.

"Dad?" the boy - Sammy called, worried.

Rose bent at the man's side and held out one hand. "Stay back!" she ordered.

His entire body spasmed and rocked like an earthquake in her grasp. Blood gushed from his mouth and he vomited a stream of mucus and blood all over Rose's pant leg. His arm had slowly begun to decompose like a rapid dissolving acid had contacted it. It fell away and landed on the ground in a dull thud.

"_DAD!"_ Sammy screamed.

Jonas' eyes grew wide. "For God's sake, he's got an arm off!" he cried.

"Get him!" Chris shouted. "Before he infects the others!" He cocked his weapon and Krauser and Jill did the same. Jonas quickly retrieved a shotgun from the RV and Beth a TMP.

"Wait!" Rose protested.

The stump where his arm used to be began to develop a peculiar, brownish protrusion that stretched from the bone and bloody flesh. Attached to the stump were several small feelers like that of an insect. His mouth began to crack and split in five different directions, large fangs jutting out from his teeth that slowly crumbled away into a mushy pool at his feet.

He hadn't been bitten by a zombie.

Wesker blinked in disbelief. He was morphing slowly. Morphing into what appeared to be a Reaper that he had encountered and re - engineered in Africa. They didn't spread their genetics to others in the same way the T-virus worked. The mutation didn't work that way. Unless…

"Daddy!" Sammy wailed, tears streaming down his face. He wanted to go to his horrifying mutation of a former father, but fear held him in place.

The creature's body shuddered and it moaned human moans that melted into metallic shrieks. It looked down at the trembling boy and reached out with its "feeler" arm, not to offer comfort, but to eat and rend his youthful flesh.

Rose quickly rushed at the boy's side and threw herself in front of him, covering his face with one hand. She gave a single nod to Wesker and Chris and they acknowledged quickly, drawing their weapons up at the thing coming their way.

While the weapons sounded and the bullets tore into the creature's body, Rose whispered soothing words to the young boy.

"It's okay … " she whispered. "Just a dream … just a dream…"

None of her friends had seen such emotion in her before as they took the creature down, listening to its dying shrieks and watching it crumble in a pool of its own blood and gore. As the sounds of shellfire died down, all that could be heard were the moans and whispers of anguish from Sammy and the three people in the Jeep.

O

Jonas wrote down the radio station of the RV's CB radio to Chris. He smiled weakly and chuckled, handing the scrap of paper to him.

"When you need us, just holler." he told him. "We'll probably cross roads again in a day or so. Look us up when you need it."

Chris smiled and took the scrap, pocketing it into one of his left shirt pockets. He paused for a brief moment in his pocketing and looked over toward the RV where Rose was watching the four in the Jeep. He read the haunted, deadpanned expression and looked back at Jonas.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

Jonas looked toward Rose and watched as she disappeared from view. "Yeah … " he replied. "She just … she lost her father a long time ago. I mean, he wasn't REALLY her real father, but he was like a father to her. I think she felt that little kid's pain, ya' know?" He sighed. "It did more than it should have."

Chris nodded his agreement. "I see."

Jonas leaned forward and whispered to him. "Don't take it so bad, Chris," he said, softly. "Rose ain't a bad woman and she didn't side with Wesker on her own. Things just sorta … snapped together too quick for any of us. He did save her life, so he can't be all that bad."

Chris gave him a sour look now. "Wesker doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself, Jonas," he told him, sternly. "You'll see what I mean in time."

Jonas shook his head.

Chris quickly boarded the Jeep and gave Wesker a cold look before he started it up. Jill hopped inside and they drove off the way that they had come. Wesker watched them go before he looked toward the RV to where Rose was.

He found her alone, sitting at the foot of the bed, a hand running through her hair. She was crying, he could tell by the stifled sniffling and soft sobbing sounds escaping her. He wasn't sure if she saw him standing there or even cared that he was.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she whispered, to herself, over and over again. "What happened? What happened?"

She was blaming herself? Wesker furrowed his brow. He didn't understand what it was that had upset her. He wasn't used to seeing her THIS vulnerable and she was making no sense at all.

Rose moaned quietly. "I lost it. I lost it … "

Wesker shook his head and took a step forward. She noticed him standing there now; head jerking upward. She gave him a cold grimace and struggled to conceal her own tears from him.

"Great, you're the last thing I need … " she mumbled. She started to go, but he grabbed her shoulders, stopping her dead in her tracks. She raised her brows angrily. "Unless you want me to toss you to the goddamn moon, let me go."

Wesker smirked at her. "You shouldn't hide in here like this," he told her; "It only makes them gossip more." He laughed softly. "You know how that fat fool Jonas is with gossip."

Rose scowled up at him, really in no mood for his mockery. Her sarcasm exhaled in a single sigh. "What do you want?" she snapped. "I don't need this right now."

Wesker shook his head and he almost sounded bored, sarcasm touching his tone now. "Rose, I'm sorry about the - - "

Rose rolled her eyes. She was familiar with this act all too well and was quite tired of it. She was too tired for any of it right now. "No, you're not!" she snapped, "You never think about anyone but yourself. So just this once, can you do me one little favor and not make me feel worse about myself?"

Wesker tsked with disgust at the attitude. "Rose, I could do that, but it would be a waste of good blood, you realize," he murmured, displeasure in his voice. "What happened with that child was neither your concern nor your problem. It reminded you of a fallen father figure and you set YOURSELF up for distress."

Rose shrugged and her tone changed now. There was something akin to exhaustion and irritation in her voice. "What's wrong with caring about other people, Wesker?" she snapped. "You're the biggest asshole I've ever met, your rude, cold to my friends, and you don't care about anyone but yourself, but at least I don't want to see you get in trouble…"

Wesker chuckled and raised a brow at her. "Unless you're the one causing it, am I right?"

For some strange reason, Rose found that a little funny. She attempted to hide a chuckle that had escaped her lips. "I guess … "

Both laughed at that, despite the suddenly peculiar change in the air temperature around them. And then, Wesker's amused grin faded. Rose mirrored his frown and stared at him questionably, wondering what was wrong.

She felt a change in the air between them both; something warm that drew them closer to one another. Rose could feel the fingers on her shoulders grow tighter there and listened to Wesker's breathing quiet. His body seemed to close around her and she suddenly felt afraid. Afraid because of what shouldn't happen, what she shouldn't LET happen.

Rose found that when she just listened, she could smell everything about him; some strange cologne that he was wearing, the strange sweet scent of his sweat and his actually comforting hold. Rose didn't want to look up at his eyes to see what he might be thinking, but she couldn't resist the desire to do so.

His eyes were of course, hidden behind his glasses but his lips were deeply pressed together; it looked like he was thinking hard about something and she sensed his eyes burning deep holes into her forehead. Rose couldn't figure out what he was thinking of right at this very second.

Or maybe she was trying not so hard to think about it.

Rose felt herself drawing closer to him, her mind screaming a rebuke, but she pushed it aside, throwing all caution to the wind until her lips touched paler ones.

Her mind reeled wildly and her thoughts were pushed back into the very corners of her brain. She wasn't doing this. She wasn't kissing this man. It didn't feel pretty good to her and she didn't enjoy it if only just a little.

And yet …

Wesker made a strange rumbling sound in the back of his throat; a low growling sound that sounded oddly possessive and even a little warning. And yet his head tilted to one side to deepen the kiss between them both as if he wanted to shove her away, but didn't want to do so as well.

Rose felt her entire world tunnel when she felt his tongue brush the edges of her lips, and she wasn't present to the rest of the world anymore as she slowly touched her tongue to his own. She could taste his teeth, the slightly sharper ones against the sides and the smooth valleys on the roof of his mouth.

Suddenly, the strange world that she had visited was yanked out from under her as soon as she felt herself shoved away with two firm hands. He had his head jerked to the side from her view and soft heavy breathing sounds echoed from him. Rose watched him for a few moments, struggling to calm her heart and her breathing.

"Th - this didn't happen … " she heard him mutter before he rushed from the RV.

Rose watched him go, stunned and all too aware of what had happened. The awareness of it came crashing down in a bitter tsunami of guilt and physical pain.

What had she done?

O

_Note_-Sadness… I hated writing this chapter because of how sad it was…But, well, here it is.


	21. Chapter 21: Verbogenen

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-One: Verbogenen**

_Somerset, Kentucky_

Rose had her face buried in a microscope and occasionally glancing over at the laptop next to her, reading data that she was analyzing from the fallen man the other day. Some of the vomit that he had gotten on her leg was collected for study and stored away for later purposes. She had to find something to do after the awkward thing that had happened yesterday between her and Wesker.

Why did she even kiss him anyway? It wasn't like her to just kiss _anyone_, so why did she suddenly feel the desire to do so with him? She wasn't even all that fond of him to begin with! So whatever had made her do that must have just been a mere whim. At least, she had hoped that was what it was.

Someone stepped onto the RV and Rose didn't bother to look up because she knew immediately who it was.

"We should talk, Rose." Wesker said, softly. His voice sounded deadpanned, a little somnolent. Maybe he felt a little odd about the situation as well. She couldn't blame him.

Rose attempted to take the conversation in a different direction before it got even more weird. "You know, I checked the data of that man, and you were right," she said. "There has been a phenomenal change in the genetics. The cells are larger, they divide faster…"

Wesker sighed impatiently. "Rose … "

She stood up and looked out of the RV window, noticing Krauser and Jonas urinating right beside the vehicle. They were talking to one another and making jokes. Beth was fixing something in front of the RV.

"Hey, let's not make this a social event over there, boys!" Beth joked.

Krauser made a mocking face at her.

"Why've we stopped?" Rose asked.

Wesker narrowed his eyes and his thin lips pursed in a sneer. "You can pretend to ignore me all you like, little girl," he mocked. "But you know that you will eventually have to talk about it."

Rose glared at him angrily. "It didn't happen!" she spat, slamming the door open and smashing it into Krauser's head.

He doubled over with a loud and startled, "WHAT THE FUCK" while Jonas looked down at him and let loose a ludicrous giggle at his condition. Rose just scoffed and rolled her eyes at the scene before she looked over to Beth to see what she was doing. She hoped that her friend wouldn't catch the warm blush that she was sure had touched her cheeks.

She had.

"Rose, what's got you red around the gills all of a sudden?" Beth asked. She grinned wider now and her voice was teasing. "Were you listening to Jonas' Sounds of Romance tape again?"

Jonas looked over his shoulder and scowled. "That was a gag gift!"

Rose smiled and shook her head, a little flustered and she tried to calm herself down a little bit. She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "Uh, no, I'm cool!" she lied.

Wesker leaned to the side and whispered to her at the corner of his mouth rather mockingly, arms folded behind his back. "Indeed. As cool as an ice fire." he sneered, before siding off.

Beth blinked in surprise at that before she watched him go, and then she looked over to Rose while tugging a small branch from the RV's grill. "What's that all about?" she asked, chuckling somewhat.

Rose glared in the direction of the grinning Wesker, who was carefully observing a shattered window store that looked to have once been a bakery. He gave her a mocking, two - fingered wave before he disappeared into the shop.

"Nothing, it's nothing. I'm just going to check and see if I can find anything in that store over there," Rose said, rather harshly. "Stay with the RV and I'll take Jonas with me."

Beth raised her brows, sensing something amiss in her friend. "You okay?"

Rose smiled at her; a forced smile that looked like it would fracture at any second. She knew that Beth was far too smart to be fooled, but she also knew that she wouldn't ask so long as she kept her cool about it.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine and dandy. I just … uh … didn't sleep so good last night," she told her. "I'm gonna go and look for some food."

Beth watched as she disappeared onto the roof of the building. She glanced over at Krauser, who was in the middle of zipping himself up. Jonas was already following Wesker into the building and she was alone now with the ex-militant.

"Hey, does this seem a little odd to you?" she asked.

Krauser glanced around the streets and nodded once, his brow furrowing. Now that she brought it up, it was a bit strange. The town was quiet and there were no signs of the infected anywhere. It was a little weird and a little creepy for him. He didn't like the idea of a potential threat just ... sitting out there and waiting for the chance to strike.

"Yeah … " he said, softly. "I ain't seen or heard from one of those damn things since we got here. It ain't right. Something's wrong."

O

Rose was searching for Wesker and Jonas in the building seeing since they had already gone inside without her. She had slowly started down a row of slightly crushed stairs and she guardedly peered around the corner to check for any signs of enemies. Above her was a hole in the floor that she had to guess was the cause of a heavy collapse.

"Goddamn … " she whispered, stepping carefully around the collapse.

Something was there in the building with them. Rose knew because she smelled something that was possibly an Infected or a creature of G origin. She tensed, slowly pulling her handgun from her boot and stepping carefully down the hallway, hoping that she wouldn't run into any trouble. Her steps caused the wood to creak beneath her feet.

Suddenly, as soon as she rounded the corner, Wesker was there in her face. She jolted roughly and yelled out angrily in surprise. Finally, she relaxed her weapon and gave him a cold glare.

"Goddamn it!" she snapped. "I almost shot you!" She scoffed now and put one hand on her hip. "And considering the mood that I'm in right now, I probably would have."

He chuckled and tilted his head to one side. "Really now, Rose," he sneered. "What if I had been your fat little friend?"

Rose's eyes flashed red and her voice dropped a register. She was inches from putting a bullet between his eyes. "Stop making fun of my friends or I will reconsider shooting you in your face!"

Wesker laughed and followed behind her as she walked through the seemingly old building.

"Ahhh!" he sneered. "Are you still furious about the fact that you attempting to suckle my face like an infant?"

Rose stopped dead in her tracks and whirled before she glared up at him. "I didn't see you pushing me away, wise - ass!"

Wesker arched one brow. "Indeed no." he murmured, holding up a finger. "However, if I may speak at a defense, I should note that your little sneak attack had left me stunned. So yes, for once, I was left paralyzed by the kiss." He smirked at her. "It must have been due to your bad breath."

"Say one more word … " Rose warned. "Just ONE more … "

Wesker suddenly held out one hand and gestured for her to be quiet. Rose rolled her eyes, paying no mind to the thoughtful look on his face as it seemed to be just a way to get her to shut up. He seemed to have been listening to something that she probably could have heard but wasn't listening. He was good at diverting the subject anyway.

"Rose, listen," he ordered, his hand held up to her.

Rose scoffed. "What?" she muttered. "Did I forget something on that little list of yours?"

Outside, Beth was just finishing up with the grill until she felt a click and something at the back of her head; something cold and heavy. She jolted and her hands rose slowly into the air.

"Who the hell are you?" she growled, glancing back at what looked like a man in ragged clothing. He was wearing a mask too, so it looked difficult to tell who it was.

Krauser was ushered out of the RV by another ragged being holding a shotgun to the side of his cheek. He was smirking coldly and his body tensed, ready to counterattack.

"So what the hell do you little shits want?" he sneered, watching as Jonas was dragged from the store by another man in rags. "Some soap? Cuz believe me, you sure as hell need it."

"We're taking your RV," one of the ragged, masked men snapped, gun leveled beneath Krauser's chin. "And anything that you may have on hand." He cocked his weapon to prove his point.

Krauser chuckled and shrugged. "Sure, sure, no problem big man ... " he sneered. "By the way, do you want that gift - wrapped special?" Before the man could react, Krauser swept his hand beneath the wrist, twisting and seizing the gun and yanking the man in a wicked choke hold all at once.

The others reacted and aimed their guns at Krauser.

"Hey, when you point a gun at someone's head, you better be ready to pull the goddamn trigger!" Krauser hissed, in the man's cloaked ear.

A figure stepped out from the middle of the group of ragged beings. From how this man was dressed, they could tell that this was the leader. The figure raised his hand and then, just as suddenly, several of the men beside him vanished in two inky black smears and they were suddenly tossed into a pile in front of the RV.

Krauser grinned broadly at Rose and Wesker standing there now. "It's about damn time!" he said. "I was getting worried."

Wesker glanced over at the leader, who took two steps back from beneath his stare. And just as soon, Rose rushed and seized the smaller man with ease, tossing him to the ground as if he were as light as air. She removed the mask covering his face and drew back in surprise.

It was a woman.

She had short black hair and cold blue eyes. She had a scar trailing down her eye, across her lips and to her chin. She glared up at them viciously and chuckled cruelly.

"_Sprechen Sie vom Teufel_ … " she sneered, in a thick German accented voice.

Wesker chuckled lowly. "Ahhh, so you don't speak English, eh?" he said. "Well, that's too bad. I was hoping for an intelligent conversation with the person responsible for causing all of this."

Jonas cocked his head with a smile, the only one who reacted intelligently to the single German sentence. "I know what she's saying."

Everyone looked at him, stunned; coming from a clown like Jonas that was nothing short of bizarre to them.

"You do?" they said, in unison.

Jonas nodded with a grin. "Sure!" he said. "I studied it at the University for about 4 years plus." He looked at Rose and Beth. "Don't you guys remember? That dick Kirk said it was Nazi speak and he spent the past four weeks calling me Homo Hitler?"

Rose frowned. "Hey, now don't talk about him like that," she scolded. "He died a few days ago … "

Jonas cringed and realized his mistake. Rose disapproved of any slander against the death of a close friend or rather, any dead person of that matter. He gave Wesker a look and a shrug.

"I could translate for you, if you want." he offered.

When Wesker nodded his approval, Jonas bent down to the strange woman and cocked his head.

"_Wer Sie und sind, was Sie macht, wollen_?" he asked.

The woman squinted at him suspiciously and inhaled before she spoke. "_Mein Name ist illsa braum. Ich bin ein Überlebender, wie die anderen. wir nur versuchen, zu überleben_."

Wesker cocked his head. "What did she say?" he asked.

Jonas looked back at them to translate. "She says she's Illsa Braum. She was only doing what she can to survive." Then, he furrowed his brows and rose, hurrying into the RV.

"Jonas?" Beth called.

Jonas returned, holding the book that Rose had read containing the information regarding the Wesker children. He bent down to Illsa and looked at her after he had found the page that he wanted.

"_Sie haben gesagt, dass Ihr Name Illsa, richtig ist?_ " he asked.

She nodded, uncertain by the sight of the book and the sudden fascination in his voice and face.

"_Ja_." she said.

Jonas stared at her sadly. "_Haben Sie am meisten von Ihrem Leben in der Sorge von Schirm ausgegeben? _" he asked.

Illsa looked stunned for a brief moment, and finally, she covered her face with two hands and began to cry.

O

The group of renegades sat inside the RV, crowded together on the couch and floor while Jonas continued to get information from Illsa. He glanced up at Wesker and shook his head.

"She was one of them," he told him, translating for the German woman. "She snuck onto a boat in Britain and ended up back here. She never learned the English language because no one would teach her. She had to live in a shelter for most of her life."

Wesker furrowed his brow. "Ask her why Spencer wanted to be rid of the others except for me."

Jonas nodded once and glanced at Illsa. While he was questioning her, Krauser was sizing up the rest of the renegades with a laugh and a twirl of his handgun in one finger. They watched him cautiously, tense in their seats.

"So, what kind of shit stains are all of you?" he sneered. "I can tell you ain't military."

Jonas gave Illsa a sympathetic smile as she attempted an uncomfortable joke.

"_Spencer hat einen grausame__n Humor gehabt. Er hat mich nach der Herrin des Adolf Hitler genannt ..._ "

Jonas chuckled softly. "_Die Burscheklänge wie eine wirkliche Spülung. Wurden alle Wesker Kinder wie dies behandelt?_ "

Illsa shook her head and her brow knotted. "_Nein. Nein_." She glanced over at Krauser and then at Jonas, chuckling with a sneer. "_Er ist ein wirklicher Charmeur, Huh?_"

Jonas snickered and shook his head. "_Er liebt seine Gewehre viel auch._ "

Krauser scowled angrily as they snickered at one another and held their mouths to hide the laughter. He got up and glared at them, flexing his muscles rather menacingly.

"What's so damn funny?" he snapped. "What are you talking about? What'd she just say?"

Jonas laughed and waved him off. "Nothing … Nothing."

Illsa smirked and nodded. "_Streichen Sie nur Ihr Fass wie ein guter Amerikaner_! " she jeered.

Krauser raised a brow menacingly and pointed at her with the end of his gun. "Let me tell you something 'Illsa', a bullet sounds the same in every language!"

Rose turned to Jonas as Krauser stormed off in a huff. "Jonas, ask her if the other Wesker children are alive."

Jonas nodded and looked at Illsa. "_Sind die anderen Wesker Kinder noch lebend_?"

Illsa nodded. "_Ja. Ja_." she murmured.

Rose listened to the conversation continue and she glanced outside to the ominous storm cloud drawing close in the distance. With any luck, they would have to cross through that storm. She said a silent prayer to herself; hoping for the best even though she knew that there would be no real point to it.

"Okay," Jonas told Wesker, as he rose. "Illsa says that most of the children are still alive. She kept in contact with a few of them, including Ivan. They would communicate together in German to prevent anyone from capturing them in between mailing each other letters. She says that it won't be pleasant, though."

Wesker frowned. He didn't like the sound of that already. "And why is that?"

Illsa stared at him grimly, and on cue from Jonas, she pulled back her cloak, lifting her shirt and revealing a peculiar blotchy marking on her back that was traveling up the length of her spine. It reminded Wesker of the segmented spines that the Licker's possessed.

Krauser frowned curiously at the other renegades. "How do you guys handle that, anyway?"

One of them stared at him. "We have an understanding," he replied, his voice rough, like his windpipe had been crushed. "She saved us from the world. So we owe it to her … "

Krauser tried to think about that, but he just laughed and waved a finger. "Sounds like you're just scared of her." he sneered.

Jonas continued. "She says that with the exception of Rose and Wesker, they were cursed with defects that led them to be useless to Spencer. They may not be so willing to lend a hand, so we have to be careful."

Wesker nodded in agreement. Bitterness tended to cloud one's own judgment and left way for more primal emotions if they were not kept under control. He smiled at Illsa and gave her a nod of respect before he turned to Krauser.

"We should go now," he replied. "The sooner we leave, the better."

Illsa turned to her followers and rose, speaking in a powerful voice. "_In Ordnung, alle von Ihnen, gehen! Verlassen Sie sie zu ihrer Mission!_ "

Rose watched as they stepped off of the RV. She stopped Illsa and the woman turned to her curiously. Rose smiled at her and chuckled softly.

"Thank you." she said.

Jonas translated for her. "_Vielen Dank_."

Illsa caught that and smiled back. She gave Rose an appreciative nod, placing a hand on Rose's shoulders and speaking gravely. Her eyes seemed to wander to Wesker for a brief moment.

"_Seien Sie vorsichtig. Er ist raffiniert und knifflig. Lassen Sie ihn Sie nicht verletzen_ ... "

Jonas reacted in surprise and Rose turned to him, just as the door closed and the RV started up.

"What'd she say?" she asked.

Jonas stared at her sheepishly and waved it off. "N - Nothing."

O

The storm had struck the RV quicker than anyone had expected. The rain pelted the metal and Rose, who was struggling to push the large vehicle out of a ditch. Wesker had refused vehemently to help her, so she was all by herself with it. It wasn't fair being a super being sometimes. At least, that's what she thought often.

Inside, everyone was just talking while Krauser gunned the engine to help Rose out a bit. As soon as he felt it free from the ditch, he laughed with glee and poked his head out of the side window.

"Rose!" he shouted. "That's good! That's good enough! Get your butt in here before - - "

The RV door suddenly slammed open and Rose was standing there, a pissed expression on her face and dripping went from head to toe. Her shoes were covered in mud. Wesker smile at her condition.

"That's a pleasant look for you, Rose," he sneered. "The wet dog appearance certainly suits you."

Rose held up one hand with an oddly calm expression on her face. "Wesker, I am cold, wet and tired. Not only do I NOT want to look at your face right now, I want a bath, a nap, and something to eat." She disappeared into the bedroom.

Beth frowned at Wesker. "Hey, you know Rose has been acting strange lately," she said. "Did you say something to her to piss her off?"

"We just talked!" Rose shouted, from across the RV.

As it started up and continued down the road, Krauser just laughed and glanced over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I bet … " he murmured.

Rose appeared from the room and glared at him. "I can hear you!"

Wesker smirked and rose, facing her. "Don't blame him," he said. "After all, you were quite adept with the use of your lips. You _spoke_ quite feverishly, if I may add."

Beth's eyes grew wide and so did Jonas'. "Rose." Beth said, stunned.

Jonas grinned at her. "Told you she liked 'em freaky!" he joked, laughing.

Wesker gave him a look.

Rose glanced at everyone before she attempted to salvage the situation. She was obviously embarrassed and wanted to prove to the rest of them that nothing was going on between her and Wesker.

"Guys, listen, I - - "

Suddenly, the RV jarred slightly to the right and Krauser struggled to get control over the massive vehicle before it could topple over. Everyone was tossed to the side and the RV screeched into a ditch and tumbled everyone about.

Once the vehicle finally stopped, Krauser glanced back at everyone. They were climbing to their feet, looking around in surprise. Wesker glanced at him sternly and scowled.

"Krauser, what happened?" he demanded.

He was slowly getting out of the seat and looked outside through the storm. He couldn't tell entirely what had happened.

"I dunno … " he said, uncertainly. "I think we hit something!"

"Are you sure?" Wesker asked.

Outside, in the rain was a shape crouching low inside the tall grass. Its inhuman brown eyes watched the RV at a distance, a rumbling rattle echoing from its throat.

O

_Note_—Verbogenen is German for "warped being".

_Sprechen Sie vom Teufel _- - Speak of the Devil …

_Wer Sie und sind, was Sie macht, wollen_ - - Who are you and what do you want?

_Mein Name ist illsa braum. Ich bin ein Überlebender, wie die anderen. Wir nur versuchen, zu überleben_ - - My name is Illsa Braum. I am a survivor like the others. We are just trying to survive.

_Sie haben gesagt, dass Ihr Name Illsa, richtig ist - -_ You said your name is Illsa, right?

_Haben Sie am meisten von Ihrem Leben in der Sorge von Schirm ausgegeben?_ - - Did you spend most of your life in Umbrella's care?

_Spencer hat einen grausamen Humor gehabt. Er hat mich nach der Herrin des Adolf Hitler genannt_ ... - - Spencer had a cruel sense of humor. He named me after the mistress of Adolf Hitler…

_Die Burscheklänge wie eine wirkliche Spülung. Wurden alle Wesker Kinder wie dies behandelt? _- - The guy sounds like a real douche. Were all of the Wesker children treated like this?

_Nein_. - - No.

_Er ist ein wirklicher Charmeur, Huh?_ - - "He's a real charmer, huh?"

_Er liebt seine Gewehre viel auch_. - - "He loves his guns a lot, too."

_Streichen Sie nur Ihr Fass wie ein guter Amerikaner!_ - - "Just stroke your barrel like a good American!"

_Sind die anderen Wesker Kinder noch lebend? _- - "Are the other Wesker children still alive?"

_In Ordnung, alle von Ihnen, gehen! __Verlassen Sie sie zu ihrer Mission!_ - - "Alright, all of you, let's go! Leave them to their mission!"

_Seien Sie vorsichtig. Er ist raffiniert und knifflig. Lassen Sie ihn Sie nicht verletzen_. - - "Be careful. He is clever and tricky. Don't let him hurt you."


	22. Chapter 22: Alpha and Omega

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Alpha and Omega**

_Edmonton Road, Kentucky_

_Several Miles from Glascow_

"I can't believe you kissed the guy!"

Rose rolled her eyes, listening to the sounds of Beth behind the door of the bathroom as she showered. Krauser and Wesker had gone outside to investigate the damages while she had gotten a bath. Jonas was turning the radio on and Marilyn Manson's "Tainted Love" was playing. He grinned at the irony of it.

"Mommy, can we please talk about this later?" Rose said, with a falsetto to her voice; one of clear mockery.

Beth heaved a cheerless sigh and walked over to take a spot beside Jonas. She was obviously pushing Rose and considering the situation, Rose was in no real mood for it right now. She glanced down at the song playing and rolled her eyes at the paradox of it all and she shut it off. Jonas watched as she looked out through the windshield and cocked his head.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Beth looked at him sadly. "Jonas, come on ... Rose has never been like this before," she told him. "I'm worried about her."

Rose could hear their conversation through the thin walls of the shower and she tilted her head to one side, feeling partially at fault for being a little hard on her friend. It may have been a touchy subject for her, but Beth was only trying to help her. She listened some more.

Jonas chuckled softly. "Beth, you can't look out for her forever, you know," he chided, gently. "I mean, the girl's a grown woman."

"I know … " Beth said, softly.

Jonas got up and looked outside to see Krauser lying on the ground, face down in front of the RV. Wesker was gone and there were no signs of him anywhere. He cocked his head with confusion and hurried outside, up to Krauser. There were no signs of any damages on him and he looked as if he had been knocked out cold. He moaned and slowly stirred when Jonas shook him.

"Krauser?" Jonas said, patting his face a few times. "Hey, Krauser!"

"Ugh … " Krauser groaned, blinking weakly and looking around. "What … What the hell happened?"

Jonas grinned at him and paused for a brief second before he spoke. "Brace yourself for some real bad news there, buddy," he joked. "What I'm gonna tell you is pretty messed up, man. The doctors went and removed your entire body. You're nothing but a talking head now."

Krauser blinked at that. "Say what?"

Jonas chuckled. "Yeah," he continued. "Wesker and Rose said that there was enough fat in your ass and muscle, so god willing, you'll pull through."

Krauser scoffed angrily and pushed him aside with one hand. "Oh, you know, you're such a dick."

Jonas took his hand and helped him stand. "What happened?" he asked. "We had the radio up and I was talking to Beth. We didn't hear you."

Krauser rubbed the back of his neck with a frown and glanced at his hand to see if there was any blood. "Shit. Something big hit me and knocked me out," he said. "Wesker must be out there checking it out by now. It felt like a ton of bricks walloped me in the back of the neck." He sucked in a sharp breath. "Ahhh … it still fucking hurts."

Jonas frowned back at Beth, who had her head sticking out of the door. "Beth!" he hollered, his voice taut with unease. "I think we got a little problem!"

Beth frowned. "What?" she called.

A strange hissing sound filled the air and something passed over their heads, a flurry of limbs and fists. Beth ducked with a sharp yelp as the massive thing crashed through the tall grass and landed in the distance.

"What the FUCK was that?" Krauser shouted, looking out to the fields.

Rose rushed from the RV and stood next to Jonas, squinting to see what was fighting in the distance. It was Wesker; there was no doubt in her mind. But the thing he was fighting was moving just as fast as he was. How was that possible?

Rose looked at the others and gestured to the RV. "Okay, you guys stay here!" she told them. "I'm gonna - - "

Jonas looked up and gasped, eyes widening and pointing above her head. "Rose, watch out!"

Just as Rose looked up in his direction, she was tackled head on by something huge and sent nearly fifty yards away. The strange thing that had hit her suddenly darted off before anyone could get a good look at it.

"Holy shit!" Krauser shouted. "There's two of 'em?"

Rose grunted and staggered to her feet, the impact leaving a human-shaped dent in the dirt. She winced and looked down at her arm, feeling a pain shoot clear up the length of her spine; it was bent and twisted at a horrible angle. Groaning, she rolled her eyes and grabbed her wrist. Sucking in a breath, she forced the bone back into its proper place with a loud yell of pain to follow. She looked up at the shadow that passed through the field, blinking in shock.

"What is that … ?" she gasped.

_Raccoon City, Underground Base, Eden_

_14 Hours Earlier_

It was a pristine lair of sterile rooms, a full staff, and various military officials. The base resembled the monument of the Hive; rooms giving the distinction of an outside city world. People came and went about; normal people who were smiling and pleased to be where they were. This "Eden" was their home, their safe haven from the horrors of the Infection above.

A man was walking down the hall, brown hair slicked back over his head. He wore a white suit bearing the Umbrella Corporation pin on his lapel. He seemed to be strolling with a grace and superiority that everyone recognized as he passed.

" - - Good morning, sir!"

" - - Hello."

" - - Good day!"

This was constant and he would wave them off with one hand. He was walking to the elevator that would take him further down. As he stepped inside, a smile touched his thin lips as he spoke. His voice was oddly youthful, yet cold all at once.

"Down please."

The elevator doors closed and the elevator roared as it took him down. He was standing calmly in the compartment, a continuous smile on his face. Once the elevator stopped, the doors opened, casting light on his young, handsome features. His eyes were a chilling, ice blue and his brows thick, pushed together against his forehead at the sight of a man in lab coat rushing up to him.

"Sir!" he gasped. "They're ready! We were waiting for you!"

He smiled. "Ahhh, take me to them."

The scientist led the man down the halls where various doctors were hurrying in the same direction. They were walking into a lab filled with various tubes and electronics wired inside two shapes lying covered in cloth on the tables. Their almost human - like eyes were looking up from beneath the cloth through a section that had been removed.

The man stared down at one and reached up, stroking its head almost lovingly. The eyes of this one were a human blue. They looked up at him, focusing on the man. There was subtle movement from both forms and the doctors reacted with alarm. The man chuckled at them.

"Stand your ground," he commanded. "These are my children."

The doctors surrounding him reluctantly moved forward as soon as the sedative tubes were released from the fleshy red bodies beneath the sheets. The computers hummed loudly, the only sound filling the lab as the two beings rose.

The man grinned joyously at the two massive forms that towered over him.

"Beautiful!" he gushed. "Alpha … and Omega … "

The beings standing there, looming over everyone in the room were no doubt Tyrants. They were almost similar to one another save for minor distinctions. While they resembled Sergei Vladimir's IVAN Tyrants; human in appearance, they were built to look almost like God's.

The "Alpha" Tyrant had human - like blue eyes with a long white bone protrusion jutting out from its forehead. Its naked chest was bare, a marking on its left shoulder bearing the Greek symbol for Alpha. It wore a pair of black cargo pants and a thick belt. Its arms were also wrapped in thick, white gauze.

The "Omega" Tyrant was far more frightening in appearance having only pools of black for eyes. It had the same bone - like protrusion jutting out from its skull, on its right should was the marking for "Omega" in a single Greek symbol. It wore black cargo pants and a thick belt like the "Alpha" Tyrant, but its chest was covered with a thin, blackish cage - like marking that resembled stitching and scars.

An eerie similarity between them both was their mouths had been stitched shut. All that they could do was create hissing sounds in their throats to their nostrils.

"You know what you were born to do … " the man told them, smiling.

_Later_

"Shit!" Krauser gasped.

Everyone gathered inside the RV, trying to make sense of what was going on. Wesker looked very angry while Rose looked shaken. Jonas was trying to hail Chris from the CB radio. Wesker caught this action and he snarled, yanking the radio forcefully from his hands.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Jonas shook his head desperately. "Calling for help, man!"

Wesker clutched the radio tightly in his grip and shoved it onto the dashboard, still keeping a grip onto it. "We are NOT calling for help." he said, darkly.

Jonas gestured outside and his voice was filled with desperate panic. "Wesker, no offense, but whatever is out there is ten times faster than you!" he insisted. "It wants to kill us! We need all the help we can get! I am NOT being a side dish!"

Wesker's hand continued to clutch the radio tight in his grip as Jonas attempted to peel his fingers aside to get it back. Wesker growled as Jonas managed to get the radio back from him and he chuckled, shamefacedly.

"You wanna stop this guy, right?" he said. "Well we can't do it when you're dead."

Wesker's lips tightened coldly. "You'll regret this, I know it."

Jonas quickly set the CB radio to the proper station to look for Chris.

"Chris? Hey, Chris Redfield!" he said, into the speaker. "Chris, can you hear me?"

_Several Miles Away_

A warehouse had been surrounded by vehicles and BSAA soldiers with weapons at the ready should anything come their way. Chris was making an attempt to persuade Jason to send in more men, only this time, it wasn't for Wesker.

"Listen to me, Jason!" he shouted, through the radio, his face red and his voice furious. "You with me? Or do you need me to draw it in crayon, like usual?"

Jason scoffed, pacing back and forth on the other end in his office. He kicked a chair aside with one leg. "Chris, I told you!" he snapped. "Our top priority is getting those survivors medical treatment and taking out this enemy. So get your head outta the Goddamn clouds and get back to work!"

Suddenly, Jonas' static - laced voice filled the air in between their already established link. _"Hello! Chris Redfield? Are you there?"_

Both men reacted from the connection. "Who is this?" Jason demanded.

"Identify yourself." Chris ordered.

Jonas sounded breathless. _"This is Jonas Burton!" _

Chris said a silent prayer to himself and a hushed "yes". Jonas would inform Jason of the truth - - the situation - - and there would be more of a chance of something happening in their favor.

"Jason, listen to him! He's a friend!" Chris insisted. "He and the others are just trying to get to the bottom of this situation too! Please, just hear what he has to say! Give him a chance!"

Jason was calm and composed on the other end for a brief moment before he exhaled and spoke. "Alright."

Jonas grinned in relief and then, he looked terrified now. _"Chris, you have to get over here quick! There's something big over here and it's trying to kill us! It's faster than Wesker and Rose!"_

Chris' brow knotted and he tried to picture something that could be faster than those two. "What's trying to kill you? What are you talking about?"

There was a rustling in the background and Chris could make out several voices. It sounded like Wesker was angry over the other end about Jonas calling for help and it also sounded like Rose was defending Jonas' idea. Jonas spoke again.

"_Are you close by?"_ he asked.

Chris licked his lips and exhaled before he spoke, his voice grave. "I can't really judge the strength of your signal ... but it doesn't sound close." he said. "But I promise that I'll get to you, okay?"

Jill approached Chris just as he lost connection with Jonas. He was just finishing his conversation with Jason now.

"He knows who is behind this, Jason … " Chris said, softly. "We can't lose them. They're our only lead that we have right now … " A brief pause and his features turned inward. "Yes. I'll send the word."

Jill cocked her head. "Chris?"

He looked at her, giving the radio one final glance before he spoke. "It's those people that we met with Wesker. They're in trouble."

O

"You are a whining coward of a man who feeds on everything he can get his at hands on!" Wesker snarled. "You have a lot of guts to think that you can speak for me and more or less, to a human thing I despise the most!" He raised his fist, grabbed Jonas by the front of his shirt and glared darkly into his eyes.

Jonas had never really seen the Devil in a man, but Wesker looked about a step below that. He had never heard such hatred and malice in his voice and was sure that Wesker would do something to hurt him. Break his legs, arms, whatever it was. He wasn't sure if he could say anything to change his mind, but he did try.

"I wasn't speaking for you!" he insisted. "I was looking out for my friends!" He gave a nervous chuckle. "I mean, if I was, I woulda asked your permission!"

"Listen to him, Wesker!" Beth insisted. "He was only trying to help, not make you look bad."

Rose grabbed Wesker's arm to yank him back and he reacted as if he had been struck, his eyes slightly widening in his head. He slowly turned and glared back at her viciously behind his glasses.

"If you value that arm of yours, Rose, I suggest you remove it from me at once!" he threatened.

Rose scowled angrily at him and her eyes flashed bright red. "Wesker, I am only going to say this once," she said, in a dark voice that was filled with something else, something akin to murder. "Let go of him right now. Or believe me, whatever attacked you will be nothing compared to what I will do to you … "

That was a poisonous response that Rose had never once used before. Not in such a tone, at least. Beth blinked in amazement and gave Krauser a look that clearly said "This would get ugly". Wesker didn't release Jonas; instead, he smirked coldly at Rose, incredulous.

"And what will you do about it, Rose?" he hissed. "Why don't you show me what you are going to do?"

The others watched the stare down between both inhuman beings. Wesker's eyes burned red behind his dark lenses and Rose's were fiery orbs of menace. It was difficult to tell if a fight was going to break out between the two. Krauser was the first to speak before anyone could.

"Whoa, hey! Alright, let's just chill and try to figure out a plan!" he told them. "Killing each other ain't gonna work out in our favor, you know. We wanna kill those things out there before they kill us."

Wesker looked thoughtful for a moment before he opened his hand, dropping Jonas to the floor like a dead weight. He glanced down at him and scowled.

"Get up." he ordered.

Jonas staggered to his feet, just as soon as a shuddering impact rocked the RV once more and sent him falling again. Everyone peered outside to see what it was and all they could see were two wisps as the shapes disappeared into the grass once more. Rose and Wesker hurried outside to see what was out there but they could not see anything passed their own vision.

"Come out!" Wesker shouted. "If you truly are as great as you flaunt yourselves, you would not need to hit and run like cowards!"

Rose looked around to see if there were signs of the beings at that taunt from Wesker. Her ears captured the sound of movement long before it drew close to the two. She and Wesker spun around, just as they felt the presence at that precise moment. Two gunshots sounded through the air and Rose and Wesker raised their handguns, opening fire.

The bullets struck two long gun barrels that sailed through the air and tumbled into the ground. Wesker and Rose stared down at them in surprise before they looked up at their adversaries.

The Alpha and Omega Tyrants.

O

Smoke billowed from the damaged weapons and the two Tyrants faced their opponents with pitiless, cold expressions. Their fists clenched at their sides and their chests heaved in and out as they loomed over the two.

"What the hell are these things?" Rose cried.

Wesker's brow knotted. "BOW Tyrants … " he said, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. "The first bio - weapons engineered by Umbrella." He blinked behind his lenses and studied them up and down, watching their every motion and every gesture. They stared back at him, never blinking. "It seems like they were sent for us specifically … "

"Yeah?" Rose groused. "I'm not too surprised anymore. Any idea why?"

The Omega Tyrant turned to her and arched its back in a fighting stance. Rose flashed a grin, despite the fact that she was slightly unnerved by the sight of the creature. She raised her fists.

Jonas gasped in horror, face and hands pressed into the glass of a window. He and Beth stood in the RV while Krauser lunged for the Alpha Tyrant with a loud roar. It spun around and grabbed him by his metallic arm. His eyes grew wide in disbelief as he was lifted from his feet. The Alpha Tyrant cocked its head at him before raising its other hand and slamming the palm end into Krauser's stomach, sending the poor man tumbling into the RV with a loud crashing sound.

"Oh shit!" Jonas gasped.

Rose noticed that the Tyrants grew interested with the humans in the RV as they studied them for a long time. Her heart filling with cold, Rose immediately acted. She grinned menacingly.

"Hey, don't worry about them!" she shouted. "Come and get us, you ugly bastards!"

The Omega Tyrant let lose a rattling snarl and dove at her, slamming its weight into her abdomen. Rose let out a loud 'ack' as she was tossed through the air and into the ground. Wesker looked back at her before he gazed up at the Omega Tyrant. He cracked his knuckles into a tight fist.

"Come and get me." he hissed, in challenge.

_Meanwhile_

The man watched the progress of the Tyrants from the comfort of his laboratory. They had been programmed with cameras built into their heads so he could watch the fight of Albert Wesker and Rose Bedford against his powerful beings. He smiled with a sigh of pleasure.

"Let's see if you are as worthy as I thought you were … " he said, softly.

A scientist sitting close to him smiled with pride. "The subjects were chosen perfectly, sir," he replied. "They know them both very well, but they have no long term memory of them whatsoever. All they know is their faces, but nothing else."

The man smiled at him. "Yes," he murmured. "Omega was the perfect choice for the experiment … a being that perished with such bitterness still lingering in his heart." He grinned wider now. "He will loath her and not even understand why."

O

Rose grimaced in pain as a meaty punch to her face knocked her clean off of her feet. She immediately tasted whet warmth and copper and felt nothing but hard ground and grass beneath her. Omega towered over her, grabbed her head in one mighty grip and delivered a wicked kick to her ribs.

Rose's scream carried back to the RV and Jonas and Beth instantly hurried from the vehicle, firing TMP shots at Omega's body before he could kick her again. Growling, Omega dropped Rose and charged for the two, the bullets bouncing uselessly off of its tough, leathery body.

It seized both Beth and Jonas in both hands by their throats, lifting their gagging forms from their feet. It seemed to analyze both humans for a brief moment, perhaps deciding if they were even worth killing. The man's voice filled the ear of the creature.

_"What are you doing?"_ he said, lowly. _"Do not waste time with those inferior specimens."_

Omega opened its hands, dropping the two humans to the ground and turning its gaze back to Rose. She was already coming at him with a fierce scream of rage. Omega was hit head on by a powerful punch from the woman. She continued to beat into its chest, flickering from left to right in a bizarre form of movement that resembled teleportation; a gesture that she had learned from Wesker.

She couldn't see his progress with the Alpha Tyrant, but she could hear loud shouts from him that sounded like he was beating it. She drew both legs back, delivering a wicked blow to its chest that sent it tumbling into the ground. Wesker grabbed the side of the RV and swung his leg into Alpha Tyrant's jaw, snapping its neck back and sending it to the ground in the same fashion.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Rose shouted.

The two Tyrants lying there suddenly twitched, their bodies rising slowly from their fallen spots. Wesker and Rose watched in surprise as they stood up, cracking their backs and necks into place.

"Oh God … " Rose gasped. "That's not right! What the hell are you?"

Wesker wasn't the least bit deterred, as often as she was. He knew that they were just mindless little puppets. Sure, Tyrants were difficult to kill and often times, they packed a nasty punch, but he was certain that they would be killed long before Redfield decided to show up and make the situation less pleasurable for him.

"So, who sent you?" he called, to them. "A man who is too frightened to show his real face?" He grinned coldly. "Is he afraid to face me?"

The two Tyrants stood silent for a long moment. Rose took the opportunity and went to Jonas and Beth's sides to see if they were alright.

"Guys, get back in the RV!" she ordered.

"But Rose, you - - " Jonas tried.

Rose stared at him sternly. "JUST DO IT!"

Krauser was just waking from being knocked out by the blow of the Alpha Tyrant. He blinked with a low moan and grunted in surprise at his all - too - familiar condition. He heaved a frustrated sound.

The watching man just smiled with pride at his creations' might. He leaned back in his chair, touched the tips of his fingers together and chuckled softly.

"Let's see how powerful you really are, Albert … "

O

_Note_—Sick, eh? LOL. Stay tuned!


	23. Chapter 23: Answers

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Answers**

_Edmonton Road, Kentucky_

_Several Miles from Glascow_

The Alpha Tyrant dove at Rose with another fierce roar. Rose slid onto her back and pressed her feet onto the creature's abdomen, pushing with all her might. It sent the startled Tyrant flying back against the ground. It performed an excellent flip and jumped onto both of its feet. Rose suddenly wrapped both legs around the creature's head and cracked its neck completely all the way around.

The Omega Tyrant wasn't having such luck with Wesker, however, despite the intense attacks that were lashed out. He grabbed it by one arm and grabbed its back spines with his other hand. It thrashed in his impossibly strong grip and he lifted it above his head. He roared and tossed the creature against the concrete of the road. Before it could get up, Wesker rushed over, raised his palm in a death stance and brought it down, severing the creature's head clean off.

The scientists who watched this with the man gasped with horror and disbelief and looked back at their commander, awaiting a blowup of disappointment and fury. Instead, the man was just smiling at them. He wasn't the least bit deterred by the seemingly simple death of Omega and Alpha.

"Take it easy, gentlemen," he crooned. "Consider this … half time."

"B - But sir … " a scientist in the back whispered.

Wesker and Rose walked up to each other, breathless and stunned. Wesker smirked slyly at her and said entirely what it was that she had been thinking.

"Powerful, huh?" he sneered. "Too easy."

Rose chuckled at that, breathless and her chest heaved in and out between gulps of air. "Yeah, you're right about that," she murmured. "But still … " She trailed off, brow furrowing. "It was almost too easy taking them out. Something's not quite right."

Wesker grunted. As he thought about what she said, he slowly began to grow concerned about that as well. Nothing in life, victory or not was easy to gain or obtain. But either way, the Tyrants were dead and they could continue on their way once the RV was pulled from the ditch. As long as they had time on their hands, they were good.

"Alright, guess I better get the RV out of the ditch," Rose said, giving Krauser a look. "Hey, start up the engine! I know SOME of us won't be helping anytime soon, am I right?" She looked at Wesker skeptically.

He chuckled. "Ahhh, all the more reason this debate is pointless."

Krauser smirked over at the bodies of the Tyrants. "Punk ass!" he sneered. "So much for that, eh?"

Suddenly, the sounds of bones cracking halted Wesker and Rose in their steps. They slowly turned toward Omega and Alpha, watching their bodies as they shuddered several times. Their eyes flickered red with horror. Rose took a step back and Wesker removed his glasses from his face slowly.

"That's impossible!" Wesker gasped. "I severed its head at the neck. That should have killed it!"

Omega Tyrant suddenly climbed onto its hands and knees, thick tendrils of red connecting its head back to its body once more. Alpha Tyrant rose to its feet and reached up, cracking its head back into its proper place. Both Tyrants faced Wesker and Rose, hands clenched into tight fists and eyes glittering with fury.

"Holy shit … " Beth whispered, horrified.

"That's not good!" Jonas stammered; his eyes went wide in terror.

The Tyrants suddenly arched their necks and the painful stitching of their mouths ripped completely off in a gruesome manner. Their jaws flew open in frightening shrieks, elongated in an unholy manner; their mouths were filled with razor - sharp teeth and long, slender tongues. Rose and Wesker visibly reacted with shock and antipathy.

The two Tyrants' back arched and their spines began to split down the center. Two bone-like protrusions jutted out from their backs, sending blood and bits of flesh flying. The bones were not bones at all, rather a set of extra claw-like arms. They reacted with howls of agony and glory to what was going on to them.

"They're mutating … " Wesker gasped, amazed.

"Definitely not good!" Jonas nearly shrieked.

The Tyrants let lose demonic screams and surged forward after the two. Rose and Wesker bolted to the side in opposite directions and the Tyrants snarled, pursuing them one by one.

"We have to do something!" Beth insisted. "We can just sit here while those two fight those monsters!"

"Yeah, but we're not superhuman, Beth!" Jonas insisted. "We can't do much good for them against those two things being … well, normal!"

Krauser was silent for a moment, an idea brewing in the corners of his mind. Finally, he nodded with a grin. "I think I got an idea."

O

Omega moved toward Rose menacingly, jaws open in occasional snarls and hisses. She stood in a defensive stance, watching it slowly move toward her and read to defend against any attack that would come. It did nothing at first, just studied her for the longest time before it screamed and surged after her.

Rose ducked as it swiped, punched, and clawed. One of its newly formed back claws slashed her face, sending her staggering back in disbelief and pain, grasping her cheek instinctively. Before she could recover from the assault, she felt a clawed hand seize her throat tightly. Wincing, she was lifted from the ground to come face - to - face with the monstrosity before her.

The flesh was clammy and surprisingly hotter than she depicted it would be from sight alone. The claws digging into her flesh were solid and sharp; there was a certain threat in the feeling in her throat that spoke of her neck snapping if she didn't do something soon to break free.

The Tyrant cocked its head as the slashes on her face slowly began to heal and close. Rose struggled in its grip as its clawed arms closed around her legs to prevent her from fighting back. Rough panting sounds escaped her nostrils and she moaned quickly in an attempt to free herself.

"_What are you waiting for?"_ came the amused sound of the Master in the Tyrant's ear. _"Finish her. She is obviously more than unworthy."_

Rose grimaced weakly, waiting for the attack that was clearly not coming. The Omega Tyrant studied her, nostrils fluttering with each gentle breath. It glanced down and seemed fascinated with something that Rose obviously couldn't see. She glanced down with the creature to see what it was seeing, but she couldn't see it. She couldn't see anything.

While it was distracted with the unseen thing, Rose managed to get one leg free and kicked it hard in the chest. Surprisingly, it did not counter her assault whatsoever when it very well could have. The Tyrant staggered back, gripped its chest and righted itself almost immediately. It gave a low, warbling groan that almost sounded dissonantly human. Rose blinked at that, stunned.

The Omega Tyrant backed from her, moaning like it had been severely wounded from an attack that was meant only to disarm. Its teeth gnashed together and it locked its horrible eyes with her.

"_R … Rose … ?"_

Rose reacted visibly with shock and disbelief when it spoke. Why did this Tyrant know her name? And why did it suddenly recoil from her like she had burned its hands off? Rose definitely missed something. She studied the Tyrant in confusion.

It looked down at her, rumbling lowly and painfully. Its black pools reflected a peculiar brown and a human - like shimmer to them. Rose locked gazes with the creature, trying to see just what was wrong with it. Slowly, comprehension began to cross her features, a slight widening of her eyes and a slow opening of her mouth.

_Amid the destruction of the Bedford home, Kirk was lying beneath a pile of rubbish, soft moans. His body was covered in ash and debris. Two shadows loomed over him and he barely opened his eyes with a soft grunt. His bleary vision could barely make out two human shapes just standing there, watching him. He reached out with a shaking hand covered in blood._

"_H - Help … "_

_He could hear a gentle voice through his ruptured ears. "You're going to be just fine, son." There was a brief pause. "I want him alive and in one piece. Take him to the helicopter."_

_Kirk blinked and struggled to make sense of what they were saying to him. _

Rose stared at the creature with incredulity and horror, gasping sounds of terror and despair escaping her lips. She shook her head desperately.

"No … " she whispered.

_Kirk screamed in agony. _

_His body was strapped to a table and various doctors were testing his seemingly damaged nerves. It hurt in every single way of the word and there seemed to be no end of it in sight. They were sticking needles where they shouldn't have been, peeling away decaying flesh and electrocuting him every which way. _

"_STOP IT!" he shrieked. "STOP IT! STOP!" _

_But they simply ignored him._

_Kirk continued screaming, alone, in pain, body thrashing in inhuman manners and strange men in white poking and prodding at every nerve in his body. He could hear broken fragments of what was going on and see nothing but red through his bloodshot eyes._

"…_Omega…final…"_

"_What the hell is Omega?" he shrieked. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? WHAT? WHAT?"_

The man watching the struggle on screen simply smiled, delighted by this new revelation. He didn't seem the slightest bit deterred and fancied Rose's ability to influence even the infected that were too far gone to recall any past lives. This would have to be studied further.

"Amazing … !" he gasped.

O

Rose trembled in shock. "K - Kirk?" she shouted. She started to go forward, but Omega swiped its claws at her. She almost felt a gust of wind from the assault alone as it barely missed her face.

"_STAY BACK!"_ came the unholy human - like scream from the creature.

Rose lurched back as if she had been burned. Wesker glanced over at her from his position, gritting his teeth and unsure of what was going on. He could see the distress in Rose's expression and the weakened state of the Omega Tyrant.

"Rose!" he shouted. "What's going on?"

Omega's body shuddered and it reached out for her again to perhaps attack; but then it recoiled, forcing its dangerous claws back with the other arm, uttering a fierce shriek of agony. Rose moaned with grief, tears streaming down her face.

"Kirk … !" she cried.

"_Noo … "_ the Tyrant groaned, through its massive teeth. _"Please … stay back … I … I can't fight it … ! Please … GO!" _His last word ended in a full - throated beastly roar.

Rose felt ice filling her entire lungs, choking her breathing and sending every inch of her body shaking like an earthquake. It took a few brief seconds to realize that the Alpha Tyrant was surging toward her, shaking the ground beneath her feet. Rose barely registered the attack coming and Wesker's shout of warning. She just felt an anesthetizing sensation in her legs, a blocking of the world around her. Her mind screamed at her to move, but she couldn't.

_You fool! Move before you are killed!_

But Rose didn't hear the voice. She didn't hear anything. She barely noticed Wesker surging after the Alpha Tyrant to stop it before it reached her; she couldn't hear the shouts of her friends telling her to run. Their mouths were moving but nothing was coming out. It all seemed to go in slow motion, time whirring down into a single second that wasted away into forever.

Rose snapped out of it as soon as she felt heavy hands against her chest, shoving her back into the ground. It felt like she had been hit by a concrete wall and her spine could certainly vouch for that. She looked up, the world resuming its normal speed as the two Tyrants now began fighting each other. Rose looked horrified and couldn't move from her spot as the creatures ripped into their own bodies with no sight of stopping. They battled like animals, tearing claws into their flesh, teeth snapping and feel digging into the earth.

Wesker suddenly appeared at her side. "Go!" he ordered.

The Tyrants continued ripping into one another, the Alpha Tyrant shrieking in protest at the Omega Tyrant, jaws snapping around its throat. Krauser made a frantic gesture to the two as they hurried toward the RV. He had a peculiar drum of gasoline in hand and a cigarette in the other.

"Move it!" he ordered. He took the cigarette and whistled loudly to the two creatures. "HEY! Assholes!" They paused in their fight to look up at him. "Come and get a drink!" He kicked the gasoline drum off of the RV and it cracked as it hit the ground, spraying a jet of gasoline all over the Tyrants.

That seemed to snap them out of their brief moment of incomprehension because they screamed and surged after him now. Krauser smirked and dropped the cigarette onto the ground where little droplet's had spilled all over the grass. It ignited into a wicked fire that spread to the Tyrants, catching them aflame.

The flaming Tyrants shrieked inhuman screams, their bodies flailing about through fire and grass. The sounds were horrid, and they continued after Rose, intent on murder. She could only stare at them with anguish, particularly the Omega Tyrant who reached pitifully for her. She slowly pulled out her handgun and aimed it at its skull.

"Shoot it, Rose!" Beth shouted.

Rose's hands began to shake. Tears stung her eyes and Wesker caught this. He furrowed his brow and scowled angrily.

"Rose, shoot it!" he spat. "Why are you hesitating? KILL IT!"

Rose felt tremors wracking her entire body. Her heart felt like it weighed a thousand pounds in the pit of her stomach. A gentle, sorrowful whisper escaped her lips in the form of, "I can't".

Wesker visibly reacted with shock. It took quite a bit to surprise him. He had lived long enough to see everything the world had to offer. But she didn't want to kill the beings that tried to kill her and her friends? He knew there was another reason behind her motive and he would find out later.

Rose whimpered softly with despair, sniffling a little as she watched Omega desperately. If there was anything left of her dear friend Kirk inside that horrible thing, she would take his life and having that on her shoulders was not something that she wanted. It wouldn't be the zombies; it wouldn't be that strange mystery man Spencer. It would be her.

Her.

**Her.**

"Rose, do it now!" Krauser shouted, over the roar of her own speeding pulse.

Rose moaned softly, her voice cracking. "I can't." she whispered again.

Krauser took that chance to do the job for her. He reached over his shoulder to retrieve a double - barrel shotgun from a holster and he reached over Rose's shoulder, smirking down at the moaning creature.

"Smile pretty, fucker." he hissed.

And then, he pulled the trigger.

_Later_

Chris, Jill and various other BSAA members pulled up to the battle scene several minutes after the departure of the RV. Chris approached the charred corpses of the Tyrants and his eyes grew wide in disbelief. A Tyrant? He had never seen one of these kinds before in years.

When he looked over at Jill, he could read the stunned expression on her face to know that she was thinking the exact same thing.

"Chris!" a BSAA member shouted. "Phone for you!"

Chris reached up as the soldier tossed a cell phone at him. He brought it to his ear and Jill watched him as he spoke. He inhaled deeply, wondering if it would bring only bad news.

"Chris Redfield here … " His features turned grave. "Claire. What news do you have?" Another long pause. "I see. Can you report here for … " He cut himself off and Jill assumed that he was interrupted. " ...O - Okay … " He grinned weakly. "N - No, it's fine, Claire. As long as you're safe."

After he hung up and said his goodbyes, Jill looked at him curiously. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Claire says she and Leon have uncovered some suspicious activity further west in Oklahoma," Chris told her, his voice taut with anxiety for his sister, "She can't leave now or it will all be ruined. She has to stay within enemy territory so she can uncover some truth to this entire cataclysm."

Jill's brow knotted. "Enemy territory?"

Chris shook his head and glanced out to the night horizon. His hands trembled even though he tried to keep his anguish hidden from Jill. He told her Claire and Leon had uncovered suspicious activity. He didn't tell her that the danger was severe because his sister had requested so.

He would find his way back to her somehow.

O

An abandoned gas station was Rose's only real reprieve to getting some food into her as she explained everything to her friends. They looked horrified and reacted with grim disgust and anger. Krauser and Wesker could only look at each other, the significance of the former man's dilemma not as effective on their parts as the others.

"He just … did that to him … " Rose said, voice numb and haunted. "He probably tortured him for hours."

"I just can't believe that it was Kirk … " Jonas whispered, just as haunted. "I … I thought he died in that explosion."

Beth shook her head. "He must have survived … the blast."

Krauser frowned at Rose. "Hang on," he said. "How did you know it was him anyway? I mean, you're not psychic or something, are you?"

Rose sighed. "I didn't … at first," she admitted. "But there was something in the Tyrant's stance, something about its smell … And after I looked at its eyes; they weren't black at all but they were familiar. After a few seconds, I felt like I could see him then. He seemed to know me after a while too because he tried to protect me from the other one before it attacked me."

"That's messed up," Jonas murmured. "We gotta find this asshole and kick his ass as hard as we can."

Rose nodded in agreement, bitterness and loathing in her voice. "Yes."

Wesker shook his head, throat tightening even as he spoke his next words. "We don't even know that it is him, Rose," he replied. "All we have is simple instinct and panic. We have to have definite proof that it is him." He exhaled lowly. "We cannot simply work alone from mere instinct."

It seemed like he was only trying to cheer her up in some weird, irritating way. She glared at him from beneath her dampened bangs and heaved a fierce growl that sounded almost leonine.

"Excuse me, I need another drink."

She disappeared from the RV and entered the shop that was a mess from head to toe. She carefully looked around in case of any attack from any other creatures. Spotting the alcoholic shelves, she grabbed a case of beer and halted at the sound of crunching and tearing.

An animal? Was an animal feeding in here?

Rose slowly leaned over the counter top and spotted a peculiar red shape bent over a blood - spattered corpse. Its body was covered with fish - like scales and it had horrendous claws that looked to have been as sharp as knives.

Rose barely breathed and the creature looked up at her with a vicious snarl through its throat. Its features reminded Rose of a mutated frog. Its small nostrils fluttered and its head moved back and forth to study her with an almost child - like curiosity. A low hissing chirp escaped its mouth and when it opened, there were rows of dagger - like teeth.

Rose didn't budge from her spot as the Hunter dove for her with a sudden demonic scream. She couldn't move when she felt the heavy eight of it on her chest. Her eyes widened with a shrill scream as she felt teeth locking onto her throat.

Rose felt the ground beneath her and the creature atop her. It wasn't so very heavy to her. She could flip it off with a simple kick or punch to the nostrils. She was perfectly powerful enough and capable of killing with her own two hands.

But she found that the more she tried to fight it, the worse it hurt. She didn't want to fight it. She found that as soon as she simply stopped fighting, relaxed, the teeth at her neck didn't hurt quite so much. Her body felt relaxed and weak but it was a comforting feeling.

The day had taken all strength from her. And even now, He was merciful to let her meet with this creature and end her life. Rose felt no real need to grasp onto the world anymore, no desire to live. Maybe it was a strange sensation of venom that flowed through her from the bite or the bleeding she knew was happening. But now, she felt at peace.

It wasn't a frightening thing to die. Rose found that it was comforting; peaceful and soothing to her. Soon, she'd meet her family in the afterlife and she would know true happiness at last.

Was that selfish for her to think such a thing? Maybe. Was it cruel to abandon her friends here and now? Yes. But Rose … being so far gone didn't even care anymore. It hurt too much, this burden and pain. If this was the only way to end it, so be it.

She smiled and her eyes felt heavy. _So tired …_

_So …_

_Tired …_

_I'm … It's so …_

_Please … rest … please …_

Somewhere through the haze of exhaustion and the numbing sensation through her entire body, she heard the sounds of guns and the shouts from her friends. And even then, she heard Wesker shouting her name.

"Rose!"

"_Rose!"_

_Rose!_

_Ro …_

O_  
_

_Note_-Hehe, the relationship blossoms again. See what happens in the next chapter. Eeek, aren't cliffhangers fun? LOL


	24. Chapter 24: Through the Ice

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Through the Ice**

_Glascow, Kentucky_

_Rose …_

A Motel 6 was the only place nearby to make an immediate stop after the incident in the store. Wesker had carried Rose into one of the rooms while the others would keep watch and infrequently retrieve whatever it was that he would need to help Rose get better.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jonas asked, looking over to Wesker as he applied pressure to her neck with a small rag.

There was going to be scarring there, he was sure of it. He nodded his head. "A Hunter's mouth is teeming with bacteria and other toxins. They are potent enough to kill a normal human being should it remain untreated for a long period of time. She just has a mild fever from the bite. It should wear off in a matter of a few hours."

Jonas furrowed his brow. "Geez, how did you handle these things when you were … you know … " He added then, cautiously, choosing his next word carefully. "Human?"

Wesker didn't look up from his task of patting Rose's forehead with a cool rag. A light smile touched his lips then. He wasn't insulted by the word, rather a little intrigued about it now that he took the time to consider. Truthfully, how had he managed indeed? He had never really given it much thought until now that Jonas mentioned it.

"Really?" he murmured, somewhat amused by the notion. "I assisted in their development within the corporations. I know of their weaknesses and their strengths that they possess. Hunters are by no means easy to vanquish on your own, but it helps to know how." He inhaled. "Let's just be grateful that it was only one and not several hundred."

Beth was carrying a handful of bags of chips and offered one to Jonas. "But I thought you said that they're incapable of breeding outside of captivity."

Wesker glanced up at her and shook his head when she offered a bag of chips to him. "I said that it was something we have not tested in my time with Umbrella. There could be a possibility of mating patterns outside a laboratory. If that were the case however, they would select humans as suitable mates due to the similar genetic traits."

Jonas grimaced in disgust at the thought and then, he looked like he was trying to picture the mating patters of a monster like the Hunter and a normal human being. Wesker gave him a sideways glance and read the thoughtful expression on his face and the slight pause in the consumption of his chips. He shook his head with dismay.

"Don't try too hard to visualize that." he replied.

Jonas was silent for a long time before he smirked and gave Wesker a teasing punch onto his shoulder. Wesker stared down at the place where Jonas had punched him, and then glared at the smaller man.

"You sure went to her side pretty quick!" he teased. "I'm starting to think you do like her! I mean, I've never seen or heard you talk to her while you were fixing her up!"

Wesker's glare intensified and he spoke in a calm, clipped tone. "Jonas, maybe you should get to sleep," he advised. "After all, we will not stay here for much longer. There may be more Hunters lurking about. They never stray too far from one another and if one catches you, I will assuredly say that you are on your own, then."

"But I'm not tired," Jonas protested, frowning.

Wesker looked at him with his bright red eyes and spoke calmly, yet threateningly. "Go to sleep, or I will _put _you to sleep."

Jonas' brows rose in unease at the threat. He held out two hands. "Okay, okay I'm going … " he muttered, "Yeesh." He walked to the door to find a room for himself. "I dunno what Rose sees in you. You're so mean to people."

Wesker reacted in disgust at the almost childish remark. He gave Beth a look and gestured with his head that she go too. Beth shrugged her shoulder and seemed to understand why. She left without argue, but not before poking her head in and speaking sternly.

"I'll be next - door, Wesker." she warned.

Krauser watched as she disappeared outside and then he looked at Wesker curiously for the order that he was likely to give him as well. Sure enough, he gave Krauser the same indication.

"Go on then, you too." he ordered.

Krauser wasn't entirely sure what Wesker was up too, but nonetheless he shrugged his shoulders and left the room with only the two of them there alone. Wesker glanced down at Rose and gave her a stern look as she began to stir.

"Rose, can you hear me?" he said.

She mumbled softly, her head feeling like it weighed several hundred pounds. Her body shuddered below him and she gave him a look as her eyes struggled to bring everything into focus. She barely reacted to the sight of him there and whispered his name softly in such an ethereal tone.

"Rose, would you care to explain to me what happened at that gas station back there?" Wesker demanded, his voice composed, even though he wanted to hit her right now for her foolishness. "Can you tell me why you intentionally allowed for that Hunter in the shop to attack you? Are you truly that foolish and so eager for death, Rose?"

Rose furrowed her brow and tightened her lips. All she did was roll onto her side, facing away from him. Wesker tittered coldly. That was just what he'd expect from her. Even in a weakened state, she still behaved like a little child. He stood up and stared down at her.

"I'm going to fetch something to eat," he told her. "When I return, perhaps you'll be in a state to talk sensibly to me, yes?" He didn't wait for a reply and walked out of the room and into the night.

O

When Wesker returned with a bottle of water and a bag of what looked like cinnamon rolls. He had to figure that Rose would be in need of sugar after the venom bite that had nearly drained her completely. He had taken a few bites from Hunters in his naive human days and it had nearly afflicted him in the same way. He entered the room and found Rose sitting up in the bed, gazing solemnly at the pale white wall in front of her.

"Ahhh, you seem to have some manner of strength back," Wesker murmured. "Perhaps now you will be willing to talk to me about what had happened." No answer. He scoffed mockingly at the silence. "If you really wanted to die so badly, you should have just asked me instead. I would have made it a whole lot easier for you."

Silence answered him again.

Wesker was about to give up on the idea of getting her to talk to him all together when Rose finally spoke, weakness in her voice and bitterness.

"How did he know, Wesker?"

"Hm?" Wesker stared at her curiously.

"How did he know about Kirk and me?" Rose glared back at him. "He traced them both to us and he KNEW Kirk was a friend of mine! He KNEW that it would hurt me! He KNEW all about us!"

Wesker exhaled and nodded his head gravely. His features turned sour now as if he had tasted something disgusting. This was a speech that he was all - too familiar with. "He is good at that, Rose," he told her. "If this is Spencer as I suspect, then he would know everything there is to know about us both. He knew everything down to the last second with me and I am certain he knows the very same with you."

Rose scoffed. "So how do we take him out then?"

"Eventually we will," Wesker assured her. "Had he found some way to survive-doubtfully-or managed to produce a clone or genetic replica of himself, then we first have to find him. And to do that, we must reach Raccoon city."

Rose nodded her head. "Fine," she said, rising. She looked around the room as if she had just finally taken notice to her surroundings. "Where are we anyway? Why'd we stop?"

Wesker glanced up at her with a skeptical grimace. "Well, for one, medical supplies had run low and I needed to find someplace to take you so that I could tend to your wounds." He shook his head with a strange smile. "Honestly, you are more trouble than you're worth."

Rose rolled her eyes, not in the mood for this right now. "Where's Beth and the others?" she muttered, getting up and starting for the door. "I need to see if they're alright."

Just as she opened the door, a heavy hand slammed it shut. Rose glanced up at the familiar gloved hand, not surprised that he had appeared beside her so quickly. She exhaled quietly and glared upwards at it. She didn't have the energy or the strength for his sarcasm or his problems right now. She didn't look back at him, but spoke gravely.

"Let go." she ordered.

"Why?" Wesker sneered. "Are you going to go running to your little she - wolf lover because I made you cry?"

Rose found enough strength to spin around and deliver a wicked punch to his face. Obviously, it wasn't enough to double him over, but enough to earn a sharp grunt from his lips and a wicked red mark began to appear on the side of his cheek. She reacted in surprise from the lack of one from him. Just as she reached up to push him from the door, he moved just as quick and grabbed her wrist before she could land another blow.

"I could toss you and that smug little grin of yours right through the goddamn ceiling!" Rose threatened.

Wesker tilted his head, fascinated with her reactions. His brows formed a thin arch against his forehead and his lips pricked upwards just a bit. "You could do that." He paused briefly. "But we both know that you wouldn't … will you?"

"I've done it before!"

Wesker chuckled and studied her from the side, that same smile still on his face. "But I can sense that this time is different." He took a step forward, closer to her, the heat from his body filling Rose's nostrils immediately. "I can sense something else."

Rose felt something warm touch her face and it took two seconds to realize that she was blushing. She didn't know why, but something in his words suggested that she might have been considering a little more than just violence to retaliate. She wanted to laugh at how utterly stupid, perverse and ridiculous his opinion of her was, but she couldn't find it in her to do so. For some reason, in the far, far, far corners of her mind, the idea seemed a little ... interesting.

Wesker smirked slyly. _Look at her blushing! _he thought. _She is so easy to manipulate, it's almost fun. _

Childish perhaps, but Wesker couldn't resist enjoying the sight of her mental torment at his words. Rose's little quips and her temper were amusing and fascinating to him. He found her intriguing as a hu - - no, one of his own and felt like he enjoyed her presence all the more. Of course, she didn't know this and why should she? It made little difference now.

"Am I wrong, Rose?" he asked. He did not wait for an answer after a brief moment of silence and simply chuckled softly at her embarrassed expression. "I didn't think so."

Rose glared at him for a brief moment but the frown faded from her features when she felt that same strange warmth from before filling the atmosphere between them once more. Wesker seemed to feel the exact same thing because his lips grew tight. Rose didn't understand it as well, but she knew he had to have felt the same thing.

She closed her eyes, trying to keep herself from looking like a fool with her blushing and her slight gaping of the mouth. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt cool leather touched her cheek. Rose opened her eyes and stared down at the leather clad fingers that circled sensuously around her jaw.

Wesker moved closer to her, holding her jaw in place with one powerful hand. He leaned his head to one side, lips drawing closest to her soft ear and whispering gently to her. It was strange to hear, especially since he was adept at rough and powerful.

"You seem to desire something … don't you Rose?" he crooned.

Rose blinked and her face went bright red. She tried to find her voice. "And how do you know that?"

Wesker chuckled and leaned back to study her expression with amusement. "That's a habit of yours, I've noticed," he sneered. "Answering my questions with a question of your own. And when I ask something personal, you go red and get angry with me, even threatening my very health." He chuckled. "It's rather childish if you ask me."

Rose glared at him. "Which I'm not."

"You cannot admit it to me because you are afraid to," Wesker countered. "I _know_ what you feel when you are around me. You can't deny it."

"Nausea."

"Heh. Perhaps in time, I'll come to grow on you."

"I'd rather have cancer."

Wesker let out a bark of mocking laughter at her sense of humor. And then, his smile disappeared and he moved quickly, pinning Rose to the door with his own body and grasping her jaw in one gloved hand. She glared up at him defiantly and struggled somewhat beneath the almost comforting warmth of his body. He studied her with a grin.

"See? You could have easily avoided that, couldn't you?" he told her. "But you let me pin you here. So tell me Rose … What is it you desire?" His grin intensified. "I have a pretty good idea that I know what it is."

Rose couldn't look at him. "You do?"

She felt stupid for saying that because she had pretty much given herself away at that moment. Rose wasn't too sure of how she felt around him after she had kissed him in the RV. She had been awfully confused and unsure about what she wanted lately. Rose couldn't deny that the warmth of his chest against her own was almost comforting.

Wesker cocked his head with a chuckle. "Rose? I'm waiting for an answer."

Rose glared off to the side and growled quietly. If he knew, why was he making her say it? It was embarrassing and completely unnecessary. Finally, she looked up at him.

"Fine," she snapped, "I've been … a little ... uh ... a little ... confused about things lately. A small bit … " She cut herself off and tried again. "I've been having dreams about - - "

Wesker smirked. "I knew about _that_."

Rose's eyes grew wide in horror and embarrassment. "You did?"

"Indeed." Wesker glanced up toward the ceiling almost amused and a tad displeased about that for some reason. "You've called my name in your sleep several times during our trips. It's just as well, I suppose. If it weren't for your snoring, I'd be concerned for you slipping into a coma during the trip here."

Rose's blush returned and this time, she laughed to attempt to stave it off. "Yeah, I'm glad my sleeping habits are such a cause for your sick little amusement. Now can we get some sleep?" She exhaled. "You can tease me about it in the morning when I feel energetic enough to hit you."

"Maybe … but then what fun would that be?" he purred, reaching his hand up to cup her face once more. "After all, who's to say that I don't find you rather ... interesting as well?"

Interesting? She had been complimented many times in many strange ways, but she had never heard of being called ... 'interesting' before. Well, Rose had to guess that was his way of saying that he liked her; or his way of finding her as fascinating as a doctor studying a cell. She wasn't sure of either one. Then again, she wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Her entire world tunneled when she felt warm lips crush hotly against her own. It was fierce, a kiss that expressed his need to dominate her mouth and something that she wasn't entirely used to. Rose's knees weakened beneath her weight and she reached up with her hands balled into tight fists in a very poor to attempt to shove him off.

A pleased chuckle filled her mouth and she could feel Wesker's tongue slide beyond her lips, touching her teeth and exploring the roof of her mouth. Rose's hand reached up to grab his throat and Wesker prepared to take her arm and shove it away until he noticed that she wasn't making any attempt to stave him from her this time.

He parted his mouth from hers to grin down at her, one brow arched. "Ahhh, so the mighty Rose Bedford is finally revealing herself?" he sneered, cruel laughter to follow.

Rose blushed and looked away, annoyance escaping her lips. She felt a hand at her neck now and another amused sound.

"Come now, Rose," Wesker said. "I can feel your need so very easily. I know that you want me. It's not difficult to smell it on you." He inhaled deeply for dramatic emphasis.

Rose blinked angrily and indignantly. "No, I don't wa … " She trailed off as his fingers smoothed lightly over her lips, sending prickling heat down her thighs. She couldn't help it. A shuddering sigh escaped her lips as his fingers wove a burning path over her skin, giving her away almost immediately.

Wesker laughed. It was the loudest that she had ever heard him laugh before and it sounded so very strange from him; he must never laugh too often like that. Almost insulted, but clearly aroused by the simple gesture, Rose roughly pushed his hand away from her face, surprised by the lack of resistance. He was simply toying with her.

"Please." Wesker's voice wasn't harsh, but there was a cruel tilt to his mouth. "Let's not go through this tiresome tirade again, Rose. You're worse than those silly little virgins that I've seduced in my younger years."

Rose raised a single brow at him. How was she supposed to take that?

"Heh, did you think me inexperienced?" Wesker sneered. "I've had my share of women while I was under the light in Umbrella. Not every test performed on me was enjoyable, silly girl."

Rose scoffed, blushing at the thought of hundreds of women surrounding Wesker in a cruel and despicable orgy. "For your information, I'm not all that inexperienced myself."

Wesker's smirk was annoying and mocking. His hand reached up to touch her ears and brush some hair aside. "Congratulations on your experience," he hissed. "Who was the lucky guy, some poor librarian with a fetish for angry women?"

Rose glowered at him. Her eyes began to swirl with red. "That's none of your goddamn business, Wesker."

"Perhaps," he crooned, his voice oddly light. "But I think that I'll discover some of your secrets soon enough."

Rose started to protest, but his mouth found hers and it swallowed every furious grunt and curse that she attempted to muster once more. His fingers circled her neck and his thumb traced her lower lip, sending prickles of electricity down Rose's lower spine. Every time she tried to fight, her body would ask her _why _and try to give in to this.

Even though she hated him, he had never touched her before, not like this. And now that he was, giving her attention in ways she would have never thought possible, she began to wonder if she really did hate him after all. Maybe hate was a too powerful word, even for someone like him. Maybe … dislike. It wasn't exactly like, but it wasn't hate either. Rose couldn't really think right now. Not when he was touching her like this. She began to feel somewhat daring and curious to see just how he'd react if he was touched in the same way.

Her hands moved cautiously, trailing a careful path down the lengths of his arms, feeling the powerful muscles there. Her action caused a low rumble through Wesker's throat.

"Interesting," he whispered, after finally parting with her; a passing lick to her lower lip.

Rose frowned. "What?" she asked.

"You are interesting indeed," Wesker purred, tracing her lower lip once more. "What you find to be wrong and illogical to your own feelings, you wish … a small part of you _wants_ to indulge in your own wicked desires."

Rose blinked ashamedly. "N - No, I don't … "

Wesker grinned. "And why shouldn't you, Rose?" he said, attempting to goad and soothe her to his manner of thinking, "You've spent so long thinking of others and doing what was best for them, but what about you? Too long you've cast aside your wants and your needs. You're _thirsting _to be selfish."

Rose shook her head slowly. "B - But my friends are all I have left!" She gasped sharply as he leaned forward and moved his lips inches from her neck.

"Do it for yourself, Rose," he whispered. "Be a little greedy. After all, it's only … human." He chuckled against her cheek.

Rose wasn't sure of the complete meaning of his humor behind the simple statement. Perhaps he meant that it was natural for her to behave humanely because she, unlike him had not fallen prey to the power that she possessed. That was her first guess only from her own perspective.

She recalled her first with a young boy named Daniel Stark in her class at college. He was kind and gentle, the touching rather meant to be a moment to cherish and not rush through. She thought that they would be together forever. Unfortunately, she recalled pain after her graduation. He had broken up with her afterwards because of a formality with his family, a small, unknown issue that had left her in a terrible state of confusion and hurt.

His father had forbid him to be with a "test subject". Even then, Rose was never too certain what that really meant in regards to her. She remembered being sore and hurt for days because of it. It was one of the reasons why Beth had protected her so much with men entirely.

Wesker was different. When he kissed her, it felt unfamiliar and foreign in comparison to what she was used to. She found that this new technique intrigued her; his powerful kiss was startling and oddly arousing; he was sure of every place to touch and every place to taste. He was a man of not just arrogance, but self - assuredness.

It felt good.

Rose slowly forgot the need to fight him any longer and allowed for her body to conform to his. Her knee slid in between his legs, earning a low, hungry growling sound from him. She slowly slid her hands along the strong muscles and planes of his chest and soon, she learned that she couldn't keep her hands from him. Every muscle, every plane was yearning for her to touch.

She knew this was wrong, she knew that she shouldn't have been kissing him right now. She knew that this would end terribly on her part in some small way, but right now, she didn't care. All that mattered was the here and now and the unknown reason as to why she needed him physically in such a way to begin with. It was exciting in some small, insignificant way.

Wesker's mouth crushed against her own with a satisfied growling sound that rumbled freely from his chest. His hands seized her hips possessively as she made a flimsy attempt to reach beneath the leather that covered his chest, to touch his skin. He stopped her with one hand and his eyes flickered with bright red.

"Not yet, my eager little girl ... " he hissed.

Rose felt her head swimming with intoxication from the intense feelings and emotions that coursed through her. She could hear the voice in the back of her head telling her to stop, telling her that this wasn't a good idea - -

- - and those thoughts tunneled as soon as she felt a leather hand cup her bottom and pull her firmly to an equally leather - clad chest.

A chuckle against her left ear. "Really Rose, thinking during a time like this?"

Rose blinked feverishly and raised her brows up at him. Her lips parted in a small gasping sound when he pulled her legs against his. "Any woman has to keep her wits about her with your…handling skills."

Wesker's grin was absolutely wicked. "I haven't even begun to make you lose your wits, Rose."

O

Beth heaved a tired sigh and walked out of her room to join Krauser on top of the RV. He gave her a curious side - glance, cradling his AKA - 47 Rifle close to his chest.

"Couldn't sleep?" he guessed.

Beth exhaled and took a spot beside him. "Yeah, I've just been thinking too much," she admitted, "I can't sleep when I think a lot." She chuckled. "I guess that's why Jonas can sleep so good all the time."

Krauser chuckled softly. "You never miss a cue to diss that guy, do you?"

Beth raised a brow and glanced at him. "What's your point?"

Krauser shrugged his shoulders. "Call me crazy, but a girl who does nothin' but make fun of a guy must have a thing for him."

Beth scoffed under her breath at the ridiculous notion. Finally, after a long moment of silence, she gave Krauser a smile.

"Hey, how about you go and get some sleep," she offered. "I'll take this watch."

Krauser simply smiled at that, relief touching his features. He had enough of watching for a few days. He handed her the weapon and heaved a grunt, leaping from the RV roof with ease.

"Well that sounds about fine to me," he said. "You hear or see anything, fire that gun off once and I'll come runnin'."

Beth nodded in agreement. As soon as Krauser had disappeared into a motel room, she heaved a frustrated sigh and slapped a hand against her forehead.

O

Wesker observed her nudity like an appreciative predator, delighting in the slightly uncomfortable gaze that he received from her. She was quite attractive there in naked flesh and bone, exposed to whatever he would grace her with. He would have been almost surprised by her beauty should it have not come as such to begin with. Here was a woman whose anger and masculine sense of attire only proved that she wasn't too fond of her own appearance or thought very little of it. Oh ... so selfless as always.

"What are you staring at?" Rose said with gruffness to her voice. Was there a hint of playfulness there? Hm, well that was new.

"Maybe you could tell me that."

Rose furrowed her brow as she watched him disrobe. She uttered a quiet tittering sound and struggled not to lose focus. "Why do you make a habit of poking fun of people whenever you can?"

She paused for a moment to study him naked before her. Rose had never seen him naked before and a strange warmth pooled into her abdomen. His body was muscled and toned and quite attractive, like one of those statues that she had seen at the museum in the city. Rose wasn't the kind of woman to be appealed by that sort of thing on the spot, but she didn't deny it either. At least, her body didn't anyway. It was so unlike her to be so physically aroused even when he hadn't even done a thing to her yet.

He moved quickly until she felt warm, smooth marble skin against her own. Rose ran her fingertips over the crescent shape scar along his neck and nearly blushed again. She had almost completely forgotten about that day when she had bitten him. Closer inspection revealed that he actually had many scars. Small knife wounds, bullet markings and slashes that had almost completely faded.

He said nothing, but simply observed her actions curiously.

"Go ahead … " she whispered.

Wesker smirked at the request. "You are mistaken, Rose," he told her. "You haven't earned the right to make demands of me. If you want this, you'll have to beg me for it."

Rose blinked, startled. "What?"

"You heard me."

Rose glared up at him. "If you think that for one minute I'm going to beg you fo - - AH!"

His hands had contacted her warmth between her legs while she spoke, yanking the breath and the words right from her lungs. He teased her slowly and deliberately, moving his fingers in slow, aching circles that nearly drove her insane.

"You have to tell me what you want, Rose," he sneered, delighted by the torment and the need painted on her face. "Go on, tell me. You can get what you want by just asking for it."

Rose moaned softly, refusing to give him satisfaction in knowing that he could subdue her like this. She made the mistake of opening her eyes and glancing down, watching the hand slowly stroke her and by the sight alone, she felt herself growing wet preparing for what was to come.

Wesker was pleased by this, rumbling at the knowledge of how much warmer and wetter she got just by his faint touch.

"Rose?" he said. "Come on. Beg for me."

Rose shook her head, struggling to find her voice. "I won't."

"No?" Wesker chuckled softly. "I could simply leave you here to finish yourself if you'd rather have that."

His finger continued to tease her, slowly moving in and out of her warm wetness in a malicious parody of what was to come should she obey and beg him for satisfaction. His thumb pressed against her opening and she arched against the sensations with a stifled moan. He continued circling the tightened hole, coaxing her body to respond a little more.

Rose groaned softly at the touch, gnawing at her lower lip. She didn't want to give in, didn't want to surrender to his commands. But ... she could not deny that it felt so good ... so hot. She nearly screamed when he pinched her clitoris with two fingers, sending tremors rocking her entire body.

His fingers were replaced with something harder and Rose immediately felt a heavy hand against her jaw, lifting her in a sitting position onto his lap. She opened her eyes, flaring a deep crimson and meeting his equally reddened gaze. What did he have planned for her anyway?

"Come on, Rose," he crooned, his face perfectly composed despite how close he was to entering her. "I'm going to take you unless … unless you wish stop me right now." He nudged her intimately.

Rose had to give him credit; he was a man of complete control. Any other man, normal or otherwise would have fucked her senseless by now being THAT close to doing so anyway. She struggled to get closer to him, but he seized her hip with the other hand to hold her still, his voice coming out in a single stern order.

"No."

"Wesker … !" Rose protested, in a frustrated whine.

"Give yourself to me, Rose," he ordered, voice pitching low. " ... I won't accept anything less from you. I want total surrender ... " He stroked her cheek with his thumb and leaned forward, teeth lightly grazing her lower lip. "Go on … Admit it."

Rose glared at him weakly, struggling to maintain her common sense, but it seemed to get harder and harder with every flimsy attempt. "I hate you." she hissed, at him.

He chuckled softly and shook his head, moving his mouth slowly toward the Hunter scar lining her throat. His tongue traced it gently and Rose shut her eyes against the sensations.

"Of course you do … " he whispered, pressing harder against her entrance but not entering yet, "Now tell me or I stop here."

"I'll kill you if you do … "

Wesker grinned against her throat. "Then we both know what will prevent that, now don't we?" He pressed harder because her frustration in her groan told him that he had won. Her voice was quiet, defeated and desperate.

"Please … " Rose whispered. "Do it. Take me ... "

"There now, was that so hard?" Wesker crooned, running his hand slowly down the length of her slightly muscled abdomen.

Rose growled angrily at him, a sound resembling a furious curse.

Wesker grabbed her jaw with one hand, locking his fiery gaze with her own, adjusted his hips and slid into her eager, aching body with a single thrust and immediately, felt the walls tense up around him. Rose had no choice but to look back at him and her features turned inward, nails digging into his back, he was bigger than what she had dealt with in the past with her only one human lover. His eyes flickered once at her actions and he grunted softly.

His features still maintained a perfect calm despite this, but his brow began to furrow slightly as he watched her. "Relax ... If you don't, then we may as well stop now."

Rose didn't want to stop and her body protested the thought of it. If they did, she'd be tempted to kill him for certain. She focused every muscle, every joint into relaxing against him.

Wesker smiled and tightened his grip onto her hip. She could have sworn that she heard a shudder in his voice. "Good girl … " he whispered, his other grip on her jaw still rather tight.

Rose didn't care about that or the pain that came with it. Her lips parted in a quiet gasp as the delicious pressure increased inside her thighs and abdomen from their joining. Soft, desperate panting sounds breezed out of her lips and she writhed slightly on that impaling member. Her motions drew a low, deep sound from Wesker's lips.

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he commanded, a hand grasping her inner thigh tightly.

She wrapped her legs around him and made a whining sound at his lack of movement. He grinned down at her, listening to a protest that sounded like a plea for him to move, but he wouldn't oblige her so quickly just yet. After all, tormenting her was just too much fun for him. Why end it all simply because she wanted him to? He wouldn't have that.

"Mmmm ... " he purred, against her ear. His voice seemed slightly tense. "You are a tight little thing, aren't you? I thought you were more experienced than this. I must be hurting you. Perhaps I should stop."

Rose glared at him dazedly in disbelief when she felt him slowly starting to slide out of her. He was insane! "Goddamn it! Stop playing games with me, Wesker!" she spat, angrily.

A mocking laugh and he pushed further into her, sighing as the tight heat caressed him. Size seemed to matter because his member fit snugly into the flexible tight tunnel, the ridges on it caressing every inch of him perfectly, a cry of relief and pleasure filling his ears with the motions.

Rose moaned softly and barely made out Wesker whispering her name quietly through his lips.

"Ah … Rose … "

She forced herself to adjust to him, knowing that he wouldn't wait for her to do so. She was experienced, but it still didn't make this any less new to her; after all, he was entirely different. She met his pools of darkened red and nodded once, indicating her readiness for him.

Wesker drew his hips back, pulling out until they were barely joined and then plunged himself deeply into her with a single, harsh thrust. Rose couldn't hold it back this time. She arched with a keening cry of pleasure, just as his lips met hers once more.

"Yes," he growled, into her mouth, "Yes."

He began to set a harsh pace, moving himself roughly in and out of her. It was strong and painful almost, but Rose was too far gone into the pleasure of it all to even care. She ran her fingers through his hair where his neck met his head.

"Please ... harder, Wesker ... you don't need to treat me like a little girl … I won't break ... " Her words caused him to stare back at her skeptically through the sexual haze.

"Amusing words coming from you." he hissed. His breath was mildly strained.

When she made no response to that, he snarled and brutally drove himself into her again and again. It made her shriek out with pleasure. "Is that hard enough for you?" he growled, animal desire starting to surge within him. He thrust again and again, savagely, and leaned closer to whisper, "You enjoy it rough, do you?"

Rose never would have thought that she would enjoy a more … alternate kind of sex. After all, she had always been accustomed to the gentle kind. But she actually liked the slight twinge of pain that came with his movements, the shudder that raced up her back and the delightful, twinge of sensation weaving through her abdomen.

"Uhn ... yes ... " Rose whimpered, feeling him moving deep inside of her ... so _very _deep ... nearly driving her right over the edge.

Heat swiftly took over his body, the rest of the outside world forgotten as the cool air continued to wash over their ultra - sensitive bodies. Pleasure and ecstasy worked through his body in ways that he had never imagined and a growl rumbled from his chest, the way the edges of his organ rubbed the hot, rigid walls with each thrust in.

Her legs tightened around his waist, attempting to pull him deeper into her. She began moaning faster with each time he slammed his member up into her, striking sensitive nerves that sent stars dancing across her vision. Rose writhed against him, her body slick and gleaming with sweat. A desperate moan escaped her as he thrust without mercy.

"Watch me, Rose." he ordered, breathing growing heavier and heavier.

Rose blinked dazedly and struggled to maintain eye contact, eyes half lidded over her gleaming red eyes. Her hands raced down the planes of his chest, nails slightly digging into the flesh there.

Wesker growled at the sensation of pain and pleasure. Soon he was grunting with each thrust, feeling his climax nearing. His head tilted forward, teeth bared and eyes flaring with hunger. The inevitable slowly approached and his hands dug deep into her hips as he drove into her series of deep, fast thrusts, listening to the slick sounds of her sex grow wetter with her own orgasm approaching.

"I - I'm so close - - " Rose moaned. "Oh God ... "

Wesker felt her body shuddering beneath him and her inner walls clenching tighter and tighter. He looked up slowly and dazedly, seeing her body tensed and feeling her arms and legs tighten around him as he thrust, coming so close to orgasm. He wouldn't have her end this just yet, not without screaming his name in her rapture.

"Come for me, Rose … " he hissed, against her lips. "Call my name … !"

"W - We … " she started.

"No, my _name._"

Rose stared at him with unfocused eyes burning. "What?"

"My _name_ woman!" Wesker growled, impatiently. "Call my name!"

Rose blinked and tilted her head back, mouth falling open as his mouth assaulted her neck once more. His hand tickled between them, over her abdomen and in her upper thigh.

"Al … Al … bert … " she gasped.

"Scream it!"

"_Al - Albert_!" Rose practically screeched. Her body trembled, strained against his, legs tightening around his waist. Just a little more …

Rose could barely make out his intermittent groaning sounds that were muffled by the blood that roared wildly her ears. She jerked hard and fast into him, pushing against his hips to meet every single motion as the climax shot through her with a deep, desperate moan to fill the entire room.

Wesker stiffened against her, seizing her tightly around the throat with one hand and roaring loudly as his own release struck home. His hot fluid shot deeply into her and its shuddering impact was enough to send her over the edge again.

"You … " Wesker hissed, brows raised.

Rose flashed a sheepish, exhausted smile and licked her lips, trying to regain the feeling in her body and her thoughts. "Twice in one shot? I've … never had that before … "

He smirked at her, his chest heaving slightly against hers. His voice sounded cool instead of mocking. "There's a lot that you haven't had before, it seems."

She couldn't help but chuckle at that. Her fingers tickled the edges of his muscular jaw line curiously and he shut his eyes as he murmured softly at the small, yet relaxing gesture.

"You should smile more, Wesker," she told him. "You're not such an asshole when it's a genuine smile."

Wesker made a scoffing sound and rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure they heard us out there." Rose murmured, glancing over to the door.

"You enjoyed it, though," he murmured, skeptical by her doubts now. "It matters not what they think of you."

Rose still looked quite doubtful but then, a smile touched her lips. She straightened against him and slowly started to get out of the bed. "I need a shower now," she said, rubbing the sides of her face.

Wesker raised a brow at that and tilted his head to the side. "What's the point of that when you will simply get dirty again at my desiring?"

Before Rose could ask what he meant, he pinned her beneath him to begin the second round.

O

_Note_- This chapter was hard, thus why it took long to update. I did my utter best to make it as least OC as possible. Ugh, hard, hard, hard. WeskerxOC stuff is perhaps the hardest thing to do if you still want to maintain a certain lack of change in him… ACK!


	25. Chapter 25: Ivan the Terrible

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Ivan the Terrible**

_Quinton, Oklahoma _

It was madness.

Leon and Claire had to fight off a pack of Cerberus hounds as they pursued them through the junkyard. Leon shoved a pile of garbage behind him to attempt to slow them down. Two Cerberus collided with the pile while three more leapt over with ease.

"This isn't working!" Claire shouted. "We have to - - "

She never finished because she tripped over a thin white wire beneath her, sending them both tumbling into a thick fish net. It sprung from a post, sending them high into the air. The Cerberus snapped and rushed at them to try and inflict a bite. Leon and Claire struggled inside the net, groaning.

"Dammit!" Claire cried. "What the hell is this? What's going on?"

"Someone was expecting us?" Leon wondered aloud.

The three Cerberus suddenly spasmed and their bodies shattered into explosions of gore and guts over the sounds of gunshots that rang out through the air. Leon and Claire blinked in surprise and disbelief, looking around for the source. Leon pulled out a massive bowie knife from his boot and sliced the rope of the net. He performed a graceful spin in midair and landed on two feet. Claire immediately landed at his side.

As soon as the two regained their senses, they tensed at the sounds of weapons clicking and looked into the faces of several gleaming gun barrels. Leon and Claire slowly raised their hands and studied each and every face of several men who circled them menacingly.

These men looked like they could have been nothing more than common street thugs looking for trouble. They were dressed in clothing that was obviously not theirs as easily noticeable by the mismatched and out-of-order of them. Their faces were filthy and their eyes as cold as stone. They would kill them here and now if they wanted to; that was certain.

"Who are you?" one of them asked. "What are you doing here?"

"You look suspicious … " another man sneered, squinting at the two. "Are you looking for trouble?"

"We could ask you that!" Claire snapped.

She glanced at Leon and he nodded once before looking at the man. "We're here because there was suspicious activity reported in this area. We are tracking the terrorist who was responsible for the global outbreak of the T - Virus."

The man suddenly grinned and looked over his shoulder. "IVAN!" he shouted.

Claire and Leon both looked confused.

Suddenly, a large shadow appeared from around the large piles of garbage. It was a man standing about 9 feet tall. He was enormous by normal standards and wore a thick, black leather coat. His hair was matted and white, but he didn't look a day over 30. Once he stepped closer to inspect the two figures, his eyes were much more apparent. One was an ominous shade of yellow and dilated like that of a feline while the other was a normal human shade of blue.

"Who are you?" he asked, in a cruel, nasty sneer. His accent was Russian, a thick one at that and he licked his lips, exposing one abnormally long canine tooth.

Leon studied the man curiously before he spoke, cautiously reaching behind him to remove a smaller hand knife from his belt. "Leon S. Kennedy. This is Claire Redfield. Who are you?"

The man leaned his head back, as if Leon has been utterly rude before he spoke. "Ivan. Ivan Demidov the Third. And last I look, you … are trespassing." He glared at Leon's closed palm. "What's in your hand?" he demanded, harshly. "Drop it."

Leon smiled and shrugged, opening his palm and dropping a small hand - blade from his hand. It clattered to the ground and one of the men stooped down to quickly snatch it from its spot.

"Bastard … " the man sneered, in a cruel whisper.

Claire attempted to salvage the situation to perhaps get him to talk and help them. "We're sorry," she told him. "But we're working for the United States Government to try and solve this problem."

Ivan suddenly let loose a deep and thunderous laugh; one in which the other around him joined in on. Claire didn't budge, but a tightening of her lips revealed her losing patience.

"The government?" Ivan sneered. "What will those poor little men do about this problem? Write a scathing letter? Threaten 'terrorist' with a nuclear warhead? Look around you, little girl!" He gestured with a broad sweep of his hand. "What is the point of doing anything?"

"The point is … !" Claire began.

Ivan scoffed and gestured to his men. "Take them back to house!" he commanded. "We discuss this over dinner!"

Before Leon and Claire could argue, they were yanked to their feet and forced to march forward by two taller men.

_Today I'm dirty  
I want to be pretty  
Tomorrow I know, I'm just dirt  
Today I'm dirty  
I want to be pretty  
Tomorrow I know, I'm just dirt _

_We are the nobodies  
Wanna be somebodies  
When we're dead, they'll know just who we are  
We are the nobodies  
Wanna be somebodies  
When we're dead, they'll know just who we are_

As they were dragged through the junkyard, they carefully observed everything around them. There were armed men in coats watching them menacingly over top of rubbish piles and small wrecked vehicles.

"Stay calm … " Leon whispered to Claire. "We'll figure this out."

"Right … " Claire muttered, sarcastically, "He didn't seem very friendly. I don't think he's going to tell us anything."

This wasn't going to end very well, the two feared.

O

Ivan took a spot at a large, wooden table and the rest of his men hurriedly brought plates of food out to the table. Two plates were hurtled across the table for Claire and Leon. They glanced down uneasily at what looked to be some form of meat. It was horrid looking and tinted with bits of green flakes. There was also a side of potatoes there that looked very chunky.

Ivan studied them curiously and furrowed his brow at the lack of responses. "Go on then, eat," he ordered, gesturing with his fork. "You are my guests! I insist."

Claire smiled and waved two hands. "We really can't stay - - "

Ivan leered at her sternly. "Eat."

Before Claire and Leon could protest, two heavy - and strong - sets of hands pushed them roughly into their chairs with sharp grunts to follow. They stared cautiously at each other and their eyes wandered around the dining room. The windows were boarded up and candles were lit in various lanterns, holders, and other places. Several animal skulls and barbed hooks dangled from the ceiling. Leon gave her a nod, indicating that she should say something.

Claire acknowledged and smiled weakly to Ivan. "Lovely home you have," she told him, pausing once at the lack of response. She exhaled and leaned forward. "If you know something … anything at all, it would be of a great help to us."

Ivan chuckled and shook his head. "I know lot of things, little girl," he told her. "I know your mission is foolish and will be all in vain if you continue. I have Mikhail carve you coffins to take with you on trip so you have no need to find resting place."

"We know about what we're dealing with." Leon told him, hard. "Nothing will surprise us anymore."

Ivan slammed his fork down, stabbing it into the wood and jolting everything on the table. His reaction caused his men to jump visibly at the gesture. He gave Leon a cold, venomous stare.

"Do you know _everything_?" he shouted. "EVERYTHING?"

Leon maintained a perfect calm, staring at Ivan for what seemed like forever before the man exhaled and waved to one of his men.

"Mikhail … call for my son … " he ordered, before giving Leon a sarcastic smirk. "Let us see if this one knows _everything_ as he claims to."

Claire and Leon watched Mikhail move silently across the room, disappearing up the stairs. Ivan returned his gaze to the two guests. He smiled at them and gestured to his yellow, slitted eye.

"You want to know about this, don't you?"

Claire nodded. "Are you infected?" she asked.

Ivan shook his head. "No … Not infected … " he replied, his eyes locked onto the boarded windows. "Defective … that is word I'd use."

"What do you mean defective?" Leon asked, brow furrowing. There was a greater cause for concern here now. He had every reason to believe that this…man may have been a former Umbrella Project.

Ivan heaved an impatient sigh. He slowly removed his jacket and began to unravel a long, white gauze that was wrapped around his left arm. Claire and Leon watched him intently. Once he was finished, he thrust his arm out at them.

They almost wretched at the sight of it; the flesh was rippling with raw, open muscle and a greenish tinge had touched it, flicked with rough, coarse scales. His fingernails had rotted away into jagged, yellow claws.

"Oh God … " Claire gasped.

"You see?" Ivan said, staring at them bitterly. "This is what I have become at hands of 'terrorist'. And my son has suffered more than any of us here."

Claire stared at him gravely. "H-How did this happen?" she asked.

Leon answered for her. "Project W."

Ivan grinned at him. "Ahh … so you _are_ familiar with Project after all!" He slowly began to wrap his arm again. "I am certain you understand that a lot of children were taken the day it began. I didn't ALWAYS look like this you know."

"The tests … " Leon continued. "Over time, it became unstable and you were labeled as products of failure."

Ivan scoffed. "Unlike the other two … "

"Other two?" Claire asked.

Ivan was silent for a moment until he smirked at her. "Why, the almighty Albert Wesker of course. He was Master's favorite after all. Once he easily adapted to injections, we were cast aside like trash. But since we couldn't be killed, he decided to use us as fodder."

"What about the other one?" Claire said. "What happened to him?"

Ivan smirked. "_Her_." he corrected.

Claire raised her brow at the correction. She said nothing and looked up as Mikhail appeared once more, a smaller boy tagging at his side. He quickly moved up to his father and smiled.

"You called for me, papa?" he asked, in a quiet voice.

Ivan gestured to Leon and Claire. "We have guests. Introduce yourself, son."

The boy looked to be in his late teens. His eyes were covered with peculiar goggles and his bald head covered with strange tattoos. He had a peculiar limp in his walk and his fingers were long and bony. He was wearing a t - shirt and a pair of tattered jeans and boots.

"Hi. I'm Mischa," he said. "Nice to meet you."

Claire cautiously held out one hand to shake his. "Um … nice to meet you too." She flinched inwardly at the dampness she felt against his palm. "Kinda got a sweaty grip, huh?"

Mischa giggled sheepishly and withdrew his hand. A warm blush touched his cheeks and he glanced down at Ivan.

"Papa, I am going to go work on my weapons," he told him. "Am I dismissed?"

Ivan nodded. He locked gazes with the two. "My son is afflicted with the curse that had been placed upon me. He cannot be helped, I cannot be helped and neither can the others. So just give up while you still can and just leave us alone."

Claire shook her head. "Look, you know something that might help us!" she insisted, "You have to tell us. Do you want your son living the rest of his life in this hellish kind of world?"

Ivan scoffed with disgust. "Is no different from the pain he suffered before!" He relaxed for a brief second and chuckled sorrowfully, casting his eyes to the floor. "All he had was his mother to keep him from that … and when she died - - "

"And that's when you do the right thing and stand above all that!" Claire said, hard. "Goddammit, do you really see this as being the only choice for a better future for your son?" She gestured around the room.

Ivan glared at her sharply, but said nothing.

O

"Anne. ANNE!"

Ivan shouted across the garage over the loud music that blared and nearly shattered the eardrums of everyone standing there. Claire and Leon flinched and watched as Ivan switched the music off from a box in the corner.

"Anne!" he snapped.

A smaller woman in filthy overalls poked her head out from beneath a car, holding a soldering tool in hand. She looked rather silly in the goggles that made her eyes look bigger than they actually were. She was also wearing a leather hat and large boots.

"What?" she barked.

"We need trucks ready for departure! Are cargo trucks secured?" Ivan said.

"I checked 'em an hour ago." Anne protested.

"Check them again!" Ivan thundered. "We need them fully operational for these two people here!"

Anne locked gazes with Leon and Claire, unsure of what to make of them but unwilling to ask. She let out a huff of irritation and rolled her eyes, walking away. Ivan looked at them and shook his head, leading them to follow behind.

"Pay no mind to Anne," he told them. "She is … ehh … a little short up here." He gestured to his own head. "I will find Mischa and tell him to give you any weapons you need. My son is excellent with building and constructing weapons."

Mischa was hunched over a table, inspecting a set of Caliber pistols. He spun them in his hands like a cowboy of a Western film before he turned to his father and the others. Ivan smiled at him.

"How is it looking?" Ivan asked.

"Well, these will run, but not too well, papa," Mischa muttered. "I tried to make it work with used metal in the yard … but."

Ivan laughed and patted his shoulder. "You'll make it good."

Mischa smiled back and offered Claire the weapon. She gingerly took it. "That's for you … " he said, shyly.

Claire smiled and Leon simply groaned softly with disgust at the scene. Ivan turned to two heavily armored vehicles that were parked in the corner of the garage. He pointed to them and grabbed a set of keys from the table nearby.

"Take one of these," he said. "It can be quite useful in the heavily infested areas."

"What about you?" Leon asked.

Ivan just smiled and didn't look at him. There was a peculiar sense of deviousness in his tone. "We'll be around." He tossed the keys to Leon who caught them in one hand. "Just watch out for Karl … "

"Who's Karl?" Claire asked.

"You know him when you see him … "

O

Claire and Leon drove silently down the dark streets within the armored vehicle, pondering what they had learned so far. Leon was staring straight ahead while Claire spoke to him as he drove.

"So how long have you known about Project W?" she asked, her tone slightly accusatory.

"A long time." Leon admitted.

"And you didn't think that I MIGHT have wanted to know about this?" Claire snapped, "And maybe even Chris? It could have helped us a long time ago!"

Leon stared at her sternly for a few seconds before he returned his gaze to the road. "It was classified information," he explained. "I couldn't give anything out to you or to your brother."

Claire scoffed. "Puh … 'Classified' … "

Always classified. That's how it was with Leon; most of the time, even when it was really important, he put his job before her. Usually she'd expect that by now and didn't voice what she was really feeling. Chris was the same way. It just irritated her, even though she recognized the importance of his job. But by now, what did classified even matter anymore?

"We should tell Chris," Claire said. "He sounded worried over the phone. I don't think it's going okay at all. Something new might help him a little bit."

Leon didn't look very appeased by that, but after a few moments, he nodded his head in agreement. He stopped the truck and pulled over at the side of the road while Claire began to dial Chris' number via her cell phone.

After a few moments of waiting, Claire smiled at the sound of her brother's voice. "Chris! Chris, it's me." A brief pause. "No. No, no. I'm fine. Leon and I ran into a little trouble, but it's okay now." She gave Leon a smirk when he rolled his eyes. "Chris, I have something that might help us figure out who's behind all of this." A pause and she grinned. "Yeah, for real."

Leon exhaled and glanced out of the window. He cocked his head and focused on a barn in the distance to the side. He frowned, a thoughtful expression touching his features. Ignoring Claire's conversation with Chris, he continued to focus on that spot in the distance. Something about it bothered him, but he couldn't figure out just what it was.

Once Claire hung up, she noticed Leon's intensive gaze toward the barn and she cocked her head curiously.

"Leon?" she said. "What's wrong?"

Leon glanced at her and smiled, shaking his head. "Nothing. It's nothing." he assured her. "I just thought I saw something, that's all."

The radio in the truck suddenly crackled and Claire grabbed the radio hand held, bringing it to her lips.

"Hello?" she said. "Who is this?"

"_Is Ivan. Come in."_

Claire frowned at Leon and he shared a glance. She stared at the radio with confusion before she spoke.

"Ivan, what do you want?" she asked.

"_Mikhail pick up distress call from barn near position,"_ Ivan replied. _"We come to assist. You do the same."_

Claire nodded, giving Leon a look before she spoke. "We're here, Ivan. We see the barn." She paused for a moment before chuckling. "And here I thought you didn't want to do any helping. It seemed awfully beneath you, after all."

On the other end, she could barely make out Mischa laughing. Ivan uttered something akin to a Russian curse before his voice was heard.

"_You Americans and your foolish assumptions," _he murmured. _"We are not far from current position. Meet us there now."_

Claire grinned. "Got it."

O

The barn was quiet.

Leon didn't like it already. He had sensed something here. Something bad and he wasn't too sure what it was. Claire was surveying the farmhouse with Mischa while the others investigated the terrain outside.

"Papa's not so bad, you know." Mischa told Claire, as she inspected a closet.

Claire smiled and nodded, trying to be polite. "Yeah, he seems like a hard ass to me." she joked.

Mischa couldn't resist a laugh. "Yeah, but that's just his way. Every since mama died … "

Claire cocked her head and picked up a picture frame that had been broken, almost as if someone had punched it. "Hey, was your mother American?" she asked.

Mischa raised his brows and nodded. "Uh - huh. She was."

Claire smiled at him. "Your accent isn't as prominent as your father's." She paused and found her way across the room. "Was she a great woman?"

Mischa nodded anxiously and stepped over a desk, following Claire into the kitchen. "Oh yes! She was sweet … and kind … and … and … " His voice faded away in the distance as Leon and Mikhail were inspecting a broken radio from inside a pickup truck.

"Well, at least we know where the signal came from," Leon said. "But where's the person who sent it out?" He stepped out and looked around, hurriedly loading his handgun.

Mikhail looked across the driveway to Ivan. "Иван! Мы должны пойти. Здесь нет никого!"

Ivan exhaled and shook his head, a little discouragement on his face. He gestured to the house. "Верните другие на грузовик. Мы, возможно, были слишком поздно."

Mikhail nodded his acknowledgement and turned to signal, but Ivan's grunt halted him. He turned to his leader, who was bent over and sniffing a handful of dirt in his palm. Ivan tilted his head, as if he was in deep thought before he looked up toward the barn curiously.

Meanwhile, Claire and Mischa were observing a massive crimson trail that led from the kitchen to the open back door.

"A lot of people once called him Ivan the Terrible," Mischa was saying. "It's only because papa can't be near blood."

Claire frowned back at that as she bent down to the blood. "Why?"

"Papa's condition … " Mischa continued, sadly. "When he smells it … t makes him go crazy. He has to take pills to keep himself sane. I don't know where he gets them because he won't tell me. He says it's something he hopes I never have to learn."

Claire frowned at that. It didn't sound good at all.

O

Ivan shoved the barn doors open and gazed into the darkness. He slowly stepped inside with Leon and the others following. A soft sniffling sound filled the air and Leon moved to the side, discovering a filthy, trembling form crouched in the hay. It was a woman, her clothes covered in blood and a knife in hand.

"Hey, are you alright?" Leon asked, reaching a hand out.

The woman shrieked and lashed out with the knife, slashing a wicked cut across Leon's hand. He grunted sharply in pain and the woman darted passed everyone before she raced out into the night. Mikhail studied Leon's wound and immediately pulled out wrapping gauze.

"That looks painful," Mikhail said, chuckling. "I guess she does not want help after all."

Leon exhaled sharply and gave him a cold look. "What was your first clue?" he snapped. He grunted and waited for Mikhail to bandage the wound. "I guess we found out who send the S . O . S . Maybe she had to take matters into her own hands and it was just too much for her to handle. We should stop her before she runs into more trouble."

"In time," Mikhail said. "First we must deal with - - "

Suddenly, one of the soldier's voices rose through the air, quavering in fear. "Mikhail …?"

Mikhail turned and noticed Ivan standing there, eyes locked onto Leon's bloody hand. His body was stiffened, his hands twitching and his eyes blank. His nostrils began to flutter rapidly like a dog's and his pupped back, revealing his jagged teeth.

Claire and Mischa hurried into the bard, the blood trail leading them to the others and Mischa's eyes grew wide in horror.

"Papa!" he shouted.

Mikhail and two other men suddenly lunged quickly, pinning Ivan to the wooden wall. He was groaning, kicking out his legs and his hungry gaze locked onto Leon. He looked like a desperate, hungry animal. Mischa rushed in and seized his father by his head.

"Ivan, you did not take your pill?" Mikhail gasped.

Mischa was whispering in Ivan's ear, struggling to help hold him down as well. "Папа, помните, кто Вы. Ваше сердце знает, кто Вы! Слушайте это!"

Ivan's mouth began to drip with saliva as he struggled in their grips. "One bite … " he panted, in a hurried and frantic tone, "One! Just one! I need it!"

"You don't need it!" Mikhail insisted, desperately. "You don't need it!"

"I need it!" Ivan shrieked, eyes glittering with madness. "Give him to me! I want him! GIVE HIM!"

Mischa struggled to keep his father's eyes locked to his. They were blank and empty, spittle flickering from his lips. "Папа ... Вы не нуждается в этом ... Пожалуйста, Вы не нуждаетесь в этом ... "

"Where are his pills?" another soldier demanded.

"In his pocket!"

Claire and Leon watched the scene in shock as two other men struggled to find the bottle of pills in Ivan's coat pocket. It was madness as they struggled to force a small red pill down his throat, prying his jaw open and holding it as hard as they could. He kicked, shrieked, and snarled at them in broken fragments of English and Russian.

After what seemed like an eternity of holding him down, they managed to get him to swallow the pill and keep him restrained until it took its effect. His kicking slowly stopped and his clawing began to cease.

Ivan stopped panting and he grunted, casting his gaze around the entire barn to his comrades. The frightened looks and the uneasy smiles told him that he had lost his will again. He knew now that in the rush, he had forgotten to take his pill.

"Мой Бог..." he gasped, licking his lips of the spittle.

Claire and Leon looked at one another. They didn't know what to make of this new discovery. And to make matters worse, there were more of these "Wesker" children still out there somewhere.

O

_Note_- The song here is Marilyn Manson's "The Nobodies". If you think about it, it fits the idea of the chapter.

_Иван! Мы должны пойти. Здесь нет никого!_ - "Ivan! We should go. There's no one here!

_Верните другие на грузовик. Мы__, возможно, были слишком поздно._- "Get the others back to the truck. We may have been too late."

_Папа, помните, кто Вы. __Ваше сердце знает, кто Вы! __Слушайте это!_ -"Papa, remember who you are. Your heart knows who you are! Listen to it!"

_Папа ... __Вы не нуждается в этом... Пожалуйста, Вы не нуждаетесь в этом..._ - "Papa...you don't need it... Please, you don't need it..."

_Мой Бог..._ - "My God…"


	26. Chapter 26: Creeping Distress

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Creeping Distress**

_Bowling Green, Kentucky_

"Wow, look at this place!"

Jonas was gaping at the General Motors Corvette Plant in a mixed facial expression of dismay and awe, glancing across the lot to the packed area filled with totaled and heavily wrecked Corvettes. Krauser shook his head with a snort to follow at the sadness of the smaller man. He didn't share Jonas' love for the vehicles, that was obvious.

"Corvettes are for pussies with small dicks." he muttered.

Beth sputtered a laugh between her fingers as she tried to cover it up beneath her hand. Rose couldn't resist a grin and hung her shoulders to hide her laugh from him as well.

Jonas glared up at Krauser, slouching his shoulders. "Can't you let me have _anything_?" he snapped.

A soft, almost musical chorus of moaning sounds drew their attention toward the left side of the lot, over the piles of expensive rubbish. Several zombies had begun to move toward them, moaning and reaching out with rotten, outstretched hands.

"Look. It's the welcome party come to say hello!" Rose muttered.

"Then let me oblige!" Krauser hissed.

He kicked a large piece of what looked like a half of a passenger door and he raised his TMP, opening fire on several of the zombies. The bullets ripped into the necrotic flesh of the zombie bodies and blood went flying in small, fleshy explosions of bone and raw tissue.

"Shit … they're still coming," Krauser said, grunting at the sight of a few more intrigued zombies joining the crowd. Obviously, the new groups of zombies had heard the sounds of bullets and arrive shortly to investigate. There was so many and soon, he was concerned that it wouldn't take much longer for them to become overrun if they stayed here.

"They're starting to gather," Wesker said, voice pitched low with warning, "We'll waste time if we stay here."

"We should probably go and find some more food somewhere," Rose pointed out, rushing into the RV with the others following. She stopped in the doorway and gestured anxiously with one hand. "Come on! Hurry!"

Once everyone was inside and the door tightly shut, Rose rushed into the driver's seat and attempted to start up the RV. The engine sputtered several times with sick belching sounds and the lights dimmed inside the vehicle, but it wouldn't turn over no matter what she tried. Rose felt ice lodge itself up into her stomach and her eyes slowly began to widen once she realized that they weren't going anywhere.

"Uh - oh … "

Everyone simultaneously looked back at her, stepping away from the windows where the undead had already begun to crowd them. Their features each carried their own version of alarm.

"'Uh - oh'?" Beth stammered, nervously. "What is that? What does 'uh - oh' mean? What's wrong with the RV? Why won't the damn thing start?"

Rose went pale and her breathing quickened. She looked over her shoulder to them as the RV had slowly begun to rock back and forth from the zombies slowly shaking the sides of the vehicle outside. They were getting anxious to reach them and considering the numbers, it would only be a matter of time before the entire RV was tipped over. Then they'd really be screwed.

"The battery … " She was silent for a long time in between sentences. "It's dead."

"What?" Wesker said, leaning over her to check the dashboard. Sure enough, the orange symbol on the console was glowing a fine orange, indicating the battery was the problem.

Beth looked around and struggled to stay on her two feet as the RV continued to sway. "We're trapped!" she cried, "They're gonna tip us over!"

Wesker shook his head, determined not to become a trapped rat in this hellish town. He wasn't about to fall prey to inferior specimens, not by a long shot. "No, they will not," he said, "I'll - - "

Rose jumped to her feet, cutting him off with words of her own. She looked determined as well to prevent the fall of the RV and of her own friends. "I have an idea," she told them, "I'll lure them away so that you guys can get to safety."

Wesker furrowed his brows. That response surprised him. "What?"

"Rose, don't!" Beth insisted, watching as she slowly begun to climb out of an open window. "It's too dangerous out there!"

Rose grinned at them. "Come on, Beth," she told her, "They can't catch me." She grunted and performed a perfect backwards leap out of the window, landing on the roof of the RV before she poked her head back in at them. "When it's clear and I make it around the corner, you guys make a run for it and find batteries for this thing. I'll find you."

But Beth still looked doubtful. Even so, there were still too many of them for Rose to have to deal with. "But-"

Rose winked at her. "I promise."

She jumped through the air, performed a graceful spin in midair and landed onto two feet. Slowly, Rose stood up and turned, facing the mob of the hungry undead before her. They slowly lost interest in the people trapped inside the gigantic metal can on wheels and became visibly drawn to the woman there; seemingly alone and so very helpless. She beckoned to them with two hands.

"Hey!" she shouted, loud enough for even the possible unseen zombies to hear, "Over here! I'm right here! Come and get me."

The undead horde moaned, a chorus of interested, hungry cries and they instantly began to pursue her as she jogged down the street; she took a good stride to make sure that they always had her in their sights and would not lose any interest at all in her.

"That's it!" Her frantic shouts slowly faded away as she disappeared around the corner. "I'm your little running buffet! Come and get iiiiiit … ! I'm allllll you can eeeeaaaat ... !"

O

Wesker and the others passed through Circus Square Park shortly after they had managed to abandon the RV after Rose's little scheme had succeeded. The fountain in the very middle of the park was filled with bright red blood and a body had been impaled on the tip of the fountain. Without the gore, it looked to have been once a decent artifact.

"It's too quiet out here," Krauser murmured, casting his eyes and gun all around him. "I'll have to bet that something's out there watching us."

Jonas looked up at him, eyes wide with fear. "How do you know?"

Krauser looked out toward a pale, empty building labeled Bowling Green City Hall. He didn't reply, but seemed focused on a particular spot there that showed no signs of movement whatsoever. But it seemed to still remain a particular point of interest to him. He glanced down at Wesker and the man nodded, indicating that he understood what Krauser was looking at.

"Can one of you tell us what's going on here?" Beth demanded, her voice almost a shriek.

As soon as her words left her lips, Krauser immediately slapped a meaty arm around her head and covered her mouth. She muffled angry words of protest and stared up at him angrily, no doubt unleashing a collection of obscenities behind that arm. Krauser brought his other finger to his own lips and whispered for her to be quiet. She murmured in confusion and he pointed toward a broken set of barred gate doors just across the street from the town hall, hoping that she'd understand what he was trying to say.

The sign above it was labeled "Bowling Green Zoo".

Beth slowly moved apart from Krauser's grip when he loosened himself from her and she studied the tattered bars in confusion. She walked over to them and ran a fingertip over the sharp points where the metal had been snapped clean in two. Bits of red flesh and patches of fur were covered all over the bars and littered the entire entrance of the zoo.

"Whoa … " Jonas whispered, carefully. He was worried that if he spoke any louder, something would come jumping out at them given the way Krauser had just behaved right now.

"Yeah ... " Krauser added, his voice just as soft, "I don't think we wanna get tangled with one of those undead animals. Do you really wanna wrestle with a zombie crocodile?"

"Not ... exactly ... " Jonas agreed, chuckling quietly. "I'm cool with just painting a picture in my head."

The animals within the zoo had no doubt succumbed to the T - virus the way that everyone else had. And now, somewhere out there were various infected creatures, tall and small running amok through the streets tearing up anything that they could get their claws on. It wasn't going to fair well should they run into any of them, especially the big ones.

"We should keep moving," Wesker advised, "We do not want to waste ammunition on a pack of rabid animals should we stay here for much longer. Rose will meet up with us shortly." He turned to go, but halted and turned back to look at the others. "It is best if we split up and search for a battery ourselves. We will meet back at the town square later."

Beth looked somewhat disturbed by the idea of separating, not sure how they could meet up with their best friend still out there and ignorant to the formulated plan, but nonetheless, she had to agree that it was better to split up and search more ground at a faster pace. The quicker that they had the Rv up and running, the quicker they could find Rose.

"I will take Jonas with me, you can go with Krauser," Wesker told Beth, interrupting her thoughts, "We will cover the left half of this town while you and Krauser cover the right."

Jonas didn't look very excited to be with Wesker. Alone. By himself.

"Why can't I go with Beth?" he protested.

Wesker leered down at him and spoke in a very cruel tone. "Because you are both hopelessly weak and too human," he snarked, "Both of you can break so easily. So consider this a means to protect your despicable little body."

Jonas watched him start off down the street without him and quickly followed. "No need to be hurtful … " he said, miserably.

O

"I hope the other two are having more luck than we are."

Beth and Krauser were searching the Public Transit Station of any viable vehicles that could have possessed batteries capable for the RV. But so far, they had been completely out of luck. Rose's RV required specific kind of batteries to power the ENTIRE vehicle. It would take some time which was something that wasn't on their side right now.

"Relax, will ya'?" Krauser grumbled, from behind a pickup truck. "We'll be out of here in no time. We can't spend time freaking out about this, otherwise we'll end up going nuts and shooting each other. I've seen it happen before, you know."

Beth nodded and seemed visibly insulted by Krauser's remark. How dare he make any assumptions that she wasn't calm and relaxed? Beth was usually such in ANY situation, but today, she felt a little…off for some reason. Ever since that dream that night … at least, she had _hoped _that it was just a dream. She saw Rose and Wesker…and there was nothing more of it she wanted to think about without turning a shade of pink.

"I'm fine, okay?" she mumbled, not really talking loud enough for him to hear her, "Just ... worried, that's all."

She remembered starting to discuss it with Rose this morning, but her friend seemed distracted and somewhat eager. Beth had thought of the worse thing that could have happened, but she decided that it wasn't real. It couldn't have been real.

_Rose would never …_

Krauser's shout interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, you!"

Beth snapped out of her reverie for a brief second, watching as Krauser took off down the street, in pursuit of something … or someone. She gave a sharp cry and ran after him, determined to keep him in her sights. Whatever he had seen must have been very important. Why else would he just run off in the middle of a zombie - infested town on his own? He raced into a tall, white building and she followed him inside.

"Krauser, hang on a minute!" she cried, "Wait for me!"

"Hurry up!" Krauser called back to her.

The wind blew harshly, brushing aside a cardboard box that had covered the name of the building the entire time that they had been there. It toppled roughly aside, revealing the words:

BOWLING GREEN SANITARIUM

O

Wesker and Jonas both stood inside of an elevator, listening to a soft sound of Rihanna's "Russian Roulette". Jonas looked mildly uncomfortable standing there in such close proximity to Wesker while the man stood stock still and emotionless. Jonas decided to break the tension and began singing the song softly to himself. Wesker slowly turned his head, looking at Jonas.

He cleared his throat. "Jonas … who sings this song?"

Jonas smiled at him. "Rihanna."

Wesker curled his upper lip slightly with disgust and looked straight ahead. His voice was edged with a hint of sarcasm. "Very good. Let's keep it that way then, shall we?"

Jonas withered immediately underneath his words and then, he attempted another conversation again, and as soon as Wesker sensed it starting, his chest heaved with a tired and impatient sigh.

"So … uh … you seem to be getting along good with Rose," Jonas said, fidgeting with his handgun in one hand, "I … I'm glad to see that, you know. Poor girl needs a steady hand to keep her up now."

Wesker grunted softly in response. That was partially true.

Jonas was quiet again before he spoke once more, putting a too much of an effort to talk to Wesker. "Well … she's a lot to handle and all, I mean … with her temper," he continued, "I just hope you know what you're getting into." When Wesker looked at him, he flinched and covered his head with both hands, yelping out. "Dear God, please don't hurt me!"

Wesker didn't even glance at him, his voice cool and composed. He knew just why Jonas was suddenly so interested in talking to him about this. He almost found it funny.

"You heard us."

Jonas went red around his cheeks and neck and he stared at Wesker, embarrassed. He didn't want to talk about it, but he had to, otherwise he'd blurt it out when no one was prepared for it, or he'd burst if he didn't know what made Rose want to do that to begin with. He was … curious and concerned, the way any good friend was.

"Uh … not like I was listening … um …_ hehe_ … but … " Jonas tried.

Wesker raised a single brow and tilted his head slightly to the left. "So you _weren't_ listening?"

Jonas rubbed his chin with one finger, still very red. He wasn't sure just how he should answer that question. "Uh … well … I heard, b - but I wasn't _trying_ to hear! I - I … "

"So you _were_ listening."

Jonas knew that Wesker was getting a little annoyed with the entire conversation. He didn't even have to look up at him because he could hear it in his voice. He finally dared to glance up at him and Wesker was actually smiling? That was strange. His voice didn't match his expression at all. What did he find so funny about this?

"Uh…hehe…forget I asked…" Jonas stammered, two hands held up.

Wesker tsked and glared down at him, his voice slowly dripping with menace. "Jonas…" he said, his chest puffing slightly as he breathed in to collect his thoughts, "Let me explain something to you. I find you to be far to stupid to insult verbally, so I will address this as carefully as I can through means of a proper speaking etiquette."

"Okay … " Jonas murmured, meekly.

"I find you very displeasing," Wesker continued, voice as icy as snow and his lips tight, "You are disgusting, pathetic and a weak little man beyond all kind of measure. I have found mice to exhibit more courage than you do in one minute of your entire lifetime. I keep you alive only for the sake of your skills which you have yet to prove to me. I am losing patience with your weakness and if you do not step up and pull your own weight, you will be used as a toy for the undead, or perhaps a little Hunter chew thing. As for Rose? I think it is best for you to never step out of line again and ask questions hat have nothing to do with you. Do I make myself clear?"

Jonas looked absolutely floored by Wesker's words. He was as pale as a ghost and he stepped as far back as the elevator would allow for him. Wesker meant business, he could tell. He rarely ever heard anyone talk to him like that and just thought that maybe Wesker was probably having a bad day ... Maybe. Either way, it was frightening for him.

"Y - yeah … " he stammered.

When the elevator doors opened, Rose suddenly poked her head in from above with a, "Hi guys". Her actions drew a cry from Jonas and he fell flat onto his ass, holding his chest with one hand to calm himself before he had a heart attack. His eyes were wide and his small body heaving with distress from the heart attack that she had nearly given him.

"Rose, you're late." Wesker told her, calmly. He gave Jonas a sideways glance before he stepped out of the elevator.

Rose helped Jonas to her feet and rolled her eyes at Wesker's response. "Yeah, hello to you too … " she muttered. After a brief moment of patting her friend's back, she smiled cheerfully. "Well, those assholes weren't too hard to trick after I jumped onto a few rooftops. So … what'd I miss?"

Jonas glanced over at Wesker, who stared at him menacingly behind his glasses, his eyes almost burning with a bright red behind the lenses. It was a warning look that told Jonas that he should just keep his mouth shut. Jonas swallowed anything that he wanted to say to her and forced a smile up at Rose. He couldn't say it. Not here and not now.

"Nothing much ... heheh ... " he finally managed, shrugging his shoulders once. His voice sounded dead and weak and to his mental grief, it went straight over Rose's head.

O

"Shit, where'd he go?"

Beth finally managed to catch up to Krauser, who had ran down at least 14 different hallways within the sanitarium. She wasn't sure what he was chasing and why, but finally she could ask him.

"Krauser, you mind explaining to me why the hell you were running like a damn maniac?" she cried, breathless and her chest heaving.

Krauser seemed intent on something instead of the exhausted woman and he looked around long enough to realize that he was standing inside a room of the sanitarium, surrounded by debris and beds. He looked back at Beth and his features were grim, pained almost. He looked like he was worried about something as well and that wasn't like him.

"Beth … something's … " Krauser tried, "Something's wrong."

Beth's anger vanished and was replaced with surprise. That was never a good thing to hear. "Huh?" she said. "What do you mean?"

Krauser rubbed his left ear with the palm of his hand, confusion replaced with doubt on his mismatched face. He seemed to be looking around for something that clearly wasn't there with them. Or maybe it was and only he could see it. Beth was never too sure with him; after all, he still had remnants of the Las Plagas floating around through his system.

"Maybe I should take a look when we get back to the RV," Beth suggested, "Your Plagas might be kicking up again."

"N - No. It's not that."

What the two of them didn't know or see was a small male shape crouched inside of the ventilation system over their heads; a black hand had cradled in it a whistle clenched tightly in hand and drawn close to a set of scarred, glistening lips. The figure grinned, revealing long, sharp teeth and brought the whistle up to his lips, blowing harshly.

There was no sound audible to Beth's own ears, but Krauser gave a sharp cry and his features contorted with torment and his hands immediately shot up to the sides of his head. He lost his grip on his weapon and it clattered dully to the floor.

"Shit! Fuck … where's it coming from?" Krauser cried, voice tightened in pain.

Beth jolted her head up at the movement inside the vent above them. She quickly leveled her weapon at the vent and called out loudly to whoever or whatever was up there.

"Hey, come out and show yourself, asshole!" she shouted. "Come on! Get out of there!"

An eerie, high - pitched giggling sound filled the air and the thudding of feet began to fade away as the shape took off down the length of the vent, deeper into the building.

"Come and get me … sweetie girl!"

The voice was a bit odd and a little unsettling to Beth's ears and she rushed out of the room to stop whoever it was, taking no real consequence to that specific point right now. She didn't want to shoot at the person for fear that he was still human and possibly a Wesker offspring that could give them vital information that they needed, but she didn't want to take her chances and have Krauser and herself taken out in the process. After all, Wesker had told them before that not everyone would be willing to help them. Perhaps a warning shot would be just enough.

"Hey!" Beth shouted.

Meanwhile, Wesker, Rose and Jonas had all but discovered two batteries for the RV. Sure enough and much to their relief were two wrecked RV's just barely outside of the town just off of the road. Luckily, not much of the vehicles had been damaged. On the trip back to their own RV, the whistling sound reached their ears and they gave loud, simultaneous shouts of agony, covering their ears with both hands and dropping the batteries onto the ground. Jonas watched them with worry.

"Shit, what's wrong, you guys?" he cried.

Rose and Wesker struggled to regain their senses. It seemed that the unheard sound to _human _ears could only be grasped by those with…special constitutions like Krauser, Rose and Wesker. To them, it was almost as if someone had blasted a trumpet directly into their ear drums.

"Krauser and Beth … they're in trouble aren't they?" Jonas said, weakly.

Rose picked up the battery that she had dropped and placed it onto the stepping ledge of the side door. She picked Wesker's up in one hand and placed it beside hers.

"We have to find them," she told the two. "We can't let anything happen to them. So let's hurry!"

Before Wesker could protest, Rose was already gone, tracking the scent of the two before anything worse could happen here and when she was far away. Rose felt terrible because of how she had acted that morning with Beth. She hadn't meant to act a little less than kind, but she didn't know what to say because a part of her had a feeling that Beth was aware of what had happened between her and Wesker.

What _could_ she say?

O

Beth and Krauser hurriedly pursued the unknown man down the halls as he crawled away from them inside the vent; leading them further down the stairs and into what seemed to be a darkened basement. It became difficult to see for them both and Krauser looked around the room through his Las Plagas infected eye. It was hard even for him; given the fact that Rose and Beth had removed most of the infection, but he was still able to see through the darkness, but he had to squint to do so.

"Geez, find a light or something so we can catch this bastard!" Beth snapped, feeling the wall for a light switch of some kind. "He's hiding in here somewhere and we're going to find him!" She made a victorious sound. "Ah-HAH! Found it!"

Krauser's eyes widened and he reached for her arm, a very flimsy attempt at stopping her from turning on the lights and seeing what he could see out of his infected eye.

"Beth, you don't wanna do that now … !" he started.

But it was too late; she immediately felt several switches and flicked them on with a broad sweep of her hand, casting the entire basement in light.

Beth's eyes grew wide with horror and gasps escaped her in deep intervals. The entire basement before her was a scene of gore and torture. There were splashes of brown blood stains that lined the walls, paintings of words that made no sense to her, sentences and hand prints. Those that she could make out read: IT'S TIME, DO NOT RUN, SWEET BABY ROCK A BYE …

There were knives, meat hooks and other sharp objects shoved into the walls, ceiling and even several blood-drenched bodies, pinning them there. Decapitated heads lined shelf after shelf in a gruesome display of gore and pain. There were also a few glowing lanterns lined the shelves, floors and seemed to cover various tables and chairs.

It was horrible and she wished that she had never turned the lights on after all.

"Oh my God ... " she gasped, her voice taut with terror.

"_Twinkle…twinkle…little star…" _

Krauser and Beth immediately turned their weapons toward the voice as soon as it filled the air. There was movement behind an overturned stretcher and the two immediately tensed at it.

"Hey, come on out of there right now!" Beth ordered, "Come out of there, you sick son - of - a - bitch so we can see you!"

After a long and uncomfortable pause, the shape rose from behind the stretcher, a man clad in a blue and dirty business suit with tears and rips in them. Over the suit he was wearing what looked like a ripped cloak and hood. Around his neck dangled long white things that looked suspiciously like rib bones, but at the distance, it was difficult to judge. His head was shaved bald and several scars outlined the crown of his skull. His lips, face and neck were covered in old and fresh stitch marks with scars as well.

"'When he's best, he's a little worse than a man, and when he's worst, he's little better than a beast'." the man hissed, through tattered lips. He chuckled again; an eerie dry sound through his throat.

Krauser glared at him, not even the slightest bit terrified. He looked like an ordinary street punk to him. "Well that's great; you know Shakespeare!" he snapped, "So why don't you let us know what the hell you did to these people?"

The man stepped up from behind the stretcher, and he was grinning that thin, oily grin continuously. His legs were bony and he walked almost as if his entire body had difficulty holding itself up. His hands trembled slightly like he had some form of a seizure. It took a few moments of silence before Beth spoke up, surprise and unease in her voice.

"You … You're blind … " she breathed.

The man stopped in his place and tilted his head to one side, fascinated with the observation from the woman. Sure enough, the vacant empty blue pools reflected nothing but a perpetual blankness. Yet even though he seemed to have been staring away through them, the man also seemed to know EXACTLY where they were standing.

"That's right, sweet little girl, I am blind," the man whispered, licking his lips. "But despite such an ... unfortunate medical setback, I can still see you standing right there." And with that, he pointed a finger directly at her, proving his point.

Beth felt herself flinching beneath the finger. "But how, I - - " Beth tried.

The man exhaled and lowered his hand; his breath came out as a desiccated rasping sound. "Why do you ask such a silly question, girly?" he crooned. "I am a Wesker child, after all."

Krauser and Beth reacted visibly with surprise. But a small part of them didn't believe it. After seeing the gore around them, he could have been lying about it; after all, he didn't seem very sane to begin with.

The man seemed to understand the silence because he laughed again. "You don't believe me, do you …?" For a brief second, he was silent and then, he chuckled and it gradually grew into a full - throated cackle.

"What's so damn funny?" Beth demanded.

The man gestured down to his exposed, soiled feet and there were small claw digits there instead of human toes. They were wrapped along his ankles and feet with blood-stained bandages. The claws were frightening, and yet did little to prove to the two that he was a Wesker child. After all, he could have been in the commencement stages of contamination. Without Wesker and Rose there, they couldn't authenticate a thing.

"That doesn't prove a thing." Krauser snapped.

"Doesn't it?" the man crooned, a grin still broad on his features. "Well that's a shame, sweety man. Such a shame … "

"And why is that?" Beth snapped, eyes squinting suspiciously at him.

The man chuckled and clenched his hands into tight fists. "I love letting my food learn my name before I eat them."

O

_Note_- I'm actually not so sure if Bowling Green does have a city zoo or not. But the chapter and the time of travel required one. But if you wanna correct me, go ahead. I won't mind.


	27. Chapter 27: Blind Man

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Blind Man**

_Bowling Green, Kentucky_

"Eat us?" Beth cried, stunned and sickened. There were no words other than the ones that she had muttered now capable of describing what she had felt to hearing that sort of thing. "You're a fucking cannibal?"

The man chuckled, as if the words held no real meaning to him. He raised a single brow and held up his long, claw-like hands, stroking them back and forth against one another in a malicious parody of one that would start savoring the bouquet of a delicious meal. He had never seen two specimens that looked so healthy that were worthy of a banquet.

"That's a word that _they _have given it, my dear," he told her. "I call it … survival of the fittest … doing what you have to do … " He exhaled and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. His tone remained neutral despite his next words. "Besides, it is all that I have a taste for, granted that shriveled up old man gave to me." And then, he smiled. "But he is my God and Maker, so we should never judge his actions."

So her suspicions were true after all. He was in fact, a Wesker child. This act of desiring human flesh to consume must have been one of the flaws that he had been cursed to live with for the remainder of his life. From meeting Illsa Braum and hearing her tale regarding her own personal flaw, Beth had to have guessed that he was telling the truth.

"So … this is your flaw, then?" Beth said, the disgust in her voice never changing. She shook her head wildly with horror. "Eating people and doing terrible things to their bodies?"

The man suddenly stared at her in amazement, as if she had uttered the most terrible thing in the world. His eyes widened and his lips quivered. He looked to be on the verge of breaking down into tears.

"Flaw?" he whispered. "_Flaw? _A FLAW? Do you really believe that this is a … _flaaaaaw_?"

Krauser and Beth glared at him now, anticipating a form of retaliation due to the insult in his voice. He seemed to be ready at any given chance at avenging whatever wounded pride Beth may have caused him. But instead, he softened his expression somewhat and even smiled brightly again. He sighed with a bit of longing to it and held himself.

"Oh no, my dear, this is by no means, a flaw at all," he crooned, "My blessing is what I'd call a step up from the human race, as it were. Before I was this that you see before you, I was born into a cursed world … a world where hatred flourished like the virus itself and fear ruled with a cruel iron hand. My mother and father hated me the day that I was shot into her wretched womb and they wanted to murder me before I could even take that sweet first breath of life. But HE had other plans for me, you see. He took me from that world and gave me a second chance."

Beth scowled at him, keeping her weapon trailed onto his chest. "And just what kind of chance could someone like Spencer have given you?"

He continued to grin. "He gave me quite more than I could ever give back to him. He gave me the strength to murder my family and take them before they could have taken me from this world. I owe him my life, my soul … my everything."

Beth looked horrified. "You …You killed your own family?"

Krauser scoffed and loaded his weapon. "Enough of this stupid talking," he snapped, "You tell us who you are or I put a real big bullet in your damn brain case and say fuck it to this whole damn plan!"

The man brightened at the threat, shaking it off of his shoulders as if it were nothing. He stepped back and gave a somewhat mocking bow, sweeping his hand against his chest.

"I was born with the name Karl Taylor, or as Spencer had come to call me, Karl Wesker," he told them, showing his teeth.

O

Wesker, Rose and Jonas arrived at the sanitarium to investigate shortly after hearing the call of the whistle. Jonas was a little perturbed by the sight of various gnarling vines tightly encircling the walls and posts around them. Wesker was a bit surprised by the fact that Beth and Krauser had not noticed these particularly familiar vines. They were very dangerous and could instantly kill anyone who ventured too close to them.

"This is an Ivy plant," he murmured, not waiting for Jonas to speak up for him. "They are quite a pain to deal with. Krauser _must_ have known about the dangers of this thing before he had entered this place. It's just common sense."

As soon as he finished with his sentence, Jonas suddenly tripped over an upturned root and fell flat on his back. Wesker and Rose spun around sharply and watched as he struggled to rise and regain his damaged pride at his own clumsiness. Wesker's gaze was predominantly harsh while Rose's was almost amused. She shook her head and lightly giggled.

"You fool!" Wesker spat.

As soon as he could barely finish with his insult, the vines trembled and shook, springing to life from their positions around them and they wrapped harshly around Jonas' chubby body. He screamed as he was yanked forcefully into the air and dangled there for several long moments. The strength of the seemingly flimsy vines around his body was ungodly.

"Jonas!" Rose shouted, struggling to reach for him.

He looked around desperately for something that could possibly free him from his confines, squirming against the snare. "Uh … Rose!" he stammered, terror-stricken. "Help!"

"Jonas!" Wesker called up to him. "Stop your whimpering! Just relax your body, otherwise it will only hold tighter!"

Jonas wailed out as he was swung violently back and forth in the grip of the vine, his hair whipping around his face. "EASY ... FOR ... YOU ... TO ... SAY!" he shouted back down to him.

Rose shook her head with disdain. "He's not relaxing, is he?" she said, looking sidelong to Wesker.

"Apparently not." Wesker mumbled, with displeasure in his voice.

"I've gotta do something!" Rose insisted.

"Rose ... " Wesker said; he sounded somewhat resolute to allow Jonas to be consumed by the Ivy plant.

She glanced up and noticed that the tree that was planted across from the double doors of the sanitarium had slowly begun to shudder and move on its own, the leaves parting away to reveal a giant fleshy-red bulb in the very center. The leaves that had formed the bulb pulled away to reveal a gaping mouth filled with dripping, razor sharp teeth.

"Holy shit!" she cried. She looked up to her friend, who was screaming already at the sight of the mouth. "Hang on, Jonas, I'm coming!" She quickly and with great agility, grabbed a single quivering vine and swung up to the cluster of vines that cradled Jonas. Struggling to tear them free, the Ivy began to attempt to swing her from its hold.

"Shit, I almost got it!" Rose cried, grunting sharply.

Jonas groaned, feeling his weak, human lungs slowly beginning to cave in from the powerful grip of the vines. His head rolled back on his shoulders and his face began to turn a bright shade of purple. Rose was getting desperate at the sight of his condition, slashing at the vines around him with her bare hands in hopes of getting him free.

"Jonas, stay with me!" she begged, "STAY WITH ME!" She glared down at Wesker, wondering why he was just standing there while she was doing the work. "Hey! A little help here would really be appreciated!"

Wesker watched her for a brief moment of silence to follow before he shut his eyes and glanced away, resigned. Rose's eyes grew wide in disbelief and in horror at this. He was going to abandon her dear friend at the hands of this thing? That stunned her almost to the point that she had nearly forgotten where she was at the moment.

"Wesker … !" she gasped, eyes flashing a deep red.

Finally, she found the strength to tear the vines from him, grasping his body in both arms and landing on the ground. As soon as she regained her wit, she fled for the building inches before she was crushed by the vines. Wesker was immediately following alongside her. As soon as the doors were closed, Rose inspected Jonas to make sure that he was alright.

"Jonas! Jonas, look at me," she said, gently patting the sides of his face to revive him, "Are you alright?"

Jonas mumbled some words under his dry, rasping breath and his face resumed its healthy pink once more. He gave Rose a weak smile. "Hehe…I'm fine…" he breathed, "M-My chest hurts a little bit, though."

Rose grinned and threw her arms tightly around him. But not too tight given the fact that he was probably going to be very sore for a while. After a few moments of cherishing her dear friend after his near death experience, Rose remembered that she had to be pissed and her eyes flared bright red; she stood up and turned, glaring at Wesker with absolute detestation.

"You were going to leave him to die!" she raged.

"He is not my responsibility, Rose and neither should he be yours," Wesker countered, calmly, "This poor little fat man should be able to take care of himself and not rely on you for everything."

Rose gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to hit him; it wasn't exactly the best of times and even one with a flaring temper such as herself knew this. There was no mockery to his voice as there usually was. Instead there was calmness, pity and even a resigned tone to his voice. Rose wasn't sure why Wesker treated Jonas with such loathing, but it was beginning to become her last straw with it.

"He's my best friend, Wesker," she told him. "It's what friends do. I don't know why you think so less of him, but-"

"Be that as it may … " Wesker interrupted, sternly, "You should not have to be his guardian angel at every given turn that he needs one. It's pathetic and a waste of a life."

"Why you - " Rose started.

Jonas held up his hand and looked a little sick at the conversation about him. "Um … guys?" he stammered. "As much as I really _love _the attention I'm getting from the both of you, I really think we need to find Beth and Krauser."

Rose gave Wesker a cold glare once more before she hurried down the hallways with the other two at her side.

O

Beth gave a sharp cry as she was hit full force by Karl's surprisingly powerful kick and sent sliding across the floor, into the wall behind her. Just as Krauser moved in to attack and defend the woman, Karl spun swiftly onto him, tossing a dart through the air and landing it dead square in between Krauser's eyes. Krauser stumbled back, grasping the dart and yanking it from his skin. He stared angrily down at it, trying to figure out just what Karl had shot him with. He glared up at the man until something began to feel very wrong.

"What the … " he breathed, as his entire world began to sway around him "How'd … "

Karl grinned at him. "Do not allow your arrogance to cloud your judgement, my friends. Just because I am a blind man standing before you, seemingly weak and helpless doesn't mean that I cannot see you." he sneered, "Every breath you take, every click you make, I can see you clearly. It could equate to that of the sonar of a common bat, you see."

Krauser suddenly collapsed into a heap on the floor, his massive body shuddering. Foam began to trickle from his gagging, spasming mouth and his eyes rolled up into his head. He looked to be having a seizure of some form and his throat was making sickening watery sounds. Beth stared at him desperately and struggled to get to her feet before he was killed.

"Krauser!"

Karl flashed a toothy grin and moved slowly over to her as she struggled to regain her footing and her senses. "A bit of my special brand, you see," he told her, holding up the dart to her, "Leaves the victim a wee bit incapacitated for hours. It's no fun with tougher prey." He bent down and seized her jaw tightly in one hand. "I find that screaming and begging works my appetite."

"Fucking bastard!" Beth shrieked, struggling to kick him from her, but he was too strong for her to fight back. She never would have guessed it given his weak, sickly appearance.

Karl leaned forward and dragged his blue - ish tongue up the length of her chin, smacking his lips and savoring her like a piece of meat. Beth shut her eyes tight and moaned in disgust. After a moment, he met her eyes with a pitiless laugh to follow.

"Words are mere sound and smoke, dimming the heavenly light … " he quoted, "Those who hope for no other life are dead even for this."

He slowly reached a finger into her mouth, hooking it against the side of her jaw, and then he opened his mouth, prepared to take the first bite out of her. Beth screamed.

Suddenly, Karl was flung from her body with a force too great for her to recognize at that split second. She blinked and Rose was suddenly at her side, helping her into a sitting position. Jonas and Wesker had soon followed behind her. Beth had never been so relieved to see her friend up until this point. Karl was slowly climbing from the pile of rubble that Rose had tossed him into.

"Oh … I know that smell all too well!" Karl hissed, nostrils fluttering wildly. "Could it be Albert Wesker himself has finally come to find me after all of these long, cold years?"

Wesker narrowed his eyes and studied the strange man before him. For a few seconds, he said and did nothing, not really recalling him and why he knew his name. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he smiled and his contemptuous tenor was back again. Ahh, now it hit him. He could suddenly remember the strange, little man.

"Karl…such a pleasant sight to see you…still alive," he murmured, as if he was not very thrilled with the idea of the man still existing, "I would have thought that you'd be the first to go."

Karl simply smiled right back at him, his empty eyes slowly widening. "Albert Wesker … " he whispered, "Such a delight it is to meet you again. I do miss my old chess buddy."

Rose stared up at Wesker skeptically. "Chess buddy?"

"Karl and I were old … comrades as children under Spencer's watchful eye. We were both the same age and born from prestigious families." Wesker explained, to her.

Rose glanced at Karl, studying the small man with a frown. He didn't look to be Wesker's age at all. In fact, he looked a lot older and very sickly; the exact opposite of Wesker entirely. How could such a small, weak-looking man take down Krauser and Beth all in one go? Did he have a hidden strength that was unnoticeable to the untrained eye?

Karl licked his lips. "Come on, Albert." he sneered, "We're brothers, you and I." When Wesker took a menacing step toward him, Karl recoiled somewhat. "If you kill me, how will you get revenge on Spencer?"

Wesker froze in his spot, his neutral expression melting away to one of disbelief and surprise. He tilted his head to one side and managed to form coherent enough words.

"How … " he began. "How do you know about that?"

Karl tittered mockingly and shook his head, running a finger down the length of his bony, jutting jawline. "Oh?" he sneered. "You were the boss' favorite, but you don't even know about it? That's a pity, Albert." He exhaled dryly before he continued again. "The boss has signaled for all of his children to gather. Gather together for something."

Wesker was actually surprised to hear of such news. He had never heard of anything like that before. Then again, the Wesker children had just made their reappearance not too long ago. But what if Karl was lying? Wesker remembered that Karl had never been the most trustworthy of the group and had never had q good head on his shoulders.

"You're not lying to me, are you Karl?" Wesker said, sternly, "I don't think that it would be particularly wise of you, considering the mood that I am in."

Karl just laughed with amusement. That was Albert Wesker for you; always so violent and impatient. "Many things I am, Albert, but not a liar," he sneered, "I am many, many things." He inhaled deeply and his ears pricked up at the various heart beats around him. "Your six little comrades cannot hope to frighten me with just sheer numbers."

Rose looked confused. What was he talking about, six? She looked around for a brief second before she stared back at him skeptically. "But there are only five of us."

A strange look touched Karl's features, one that really had no name. He looked momentarily confused by her response and for a brief second it was almost as if he didn't believe what she had just said. He sniffed the air once more and pressed his feet firmer into the ground. After a while of doing this, he chuckled wickedly and bowed to her.

"My mistake, then."

"You're just a goddamn freak!" Rose spat, rising. She gave Beth a gentle push and her friend stood up with her. "So you can either help us find this Spencer, or you can simply back the hell off! What's it gonna be?"

Karl was not pushed back by the threat whatsoever. He had already heard enough of them for one day. Instead, he pulled out his black whistle and brought it close to his lips, quoting once more.

"'Misunderstandings and neglect occasion more mischief in the world than even malice and wickedness'…"

And with that, he blew the whistle.

O

Chris and Jill had never seen anything like it.

The Omega Tyrant, being the only survivor of the explosion had suffered extreme burns and lacerations, but he had very much survived. It took everything that they had to bring the creature into the AC for proper analysis. And while the Omega Tyrant put up a struggle, it was easily subdued through various tranquilizers and thick straps.

"So who do you think created this thing?" Jill asked, gesturing to the tattoo on the Tyrant's shoulder. "You and I both know that he couldn't have been _born _in this condition."

The Tyrant's jagged teeth chattered slightly against the dosage of knock-out drugs, fighting against them for all that he could. It was slowly twitching inside the bounds.

Chris looked deeply troubled by the appearance of the creature. This could have been the beginning of discovering who was behind all of this. He had not heard a word from Rose and the others in some time, so he prayed that they were doing alright and Wesker wasn't giving them trouble. Chris thought of hailing them via the radio after he had finished up here.

"Chris?" Jill was staring at him, wondering just what it was he was thinking about.

"Jill, we have to find out who sent this thing after those guys in the RV," he told her. "Their tracks showed that they had gotten away safely, and they may have found something out. I have to call them to find out for sure."

Jill nodded her head in agreement. They had been at this idea for days now with nothing to show for. A little good news would be really sweet to her right about now. She also thought it would be a good idea to call their boys back home as well to prevent them from worrying about a thing. Well, to really prevent _her _from worrying about a thing.

"I'll call the boys and see how Barry's doing." She rose from her spot and noticed that Chris wasn't even listening to her.

Jill shrugged that off and walked over to a telephone booth outside of the AC. She gathered some change inside a pouch on her belt and placed them into the slot, dialing her home phone number.

On the other end, Barry picked it up. "YO!" he greeted.

"Barry?" Jill said, relieved to hear his voice. "How are the boys doing?"

"_Boys are doin' just fine, Jill,_" he told her. "_I wanna know what they like for dinner, though. I gave 'em some friend onion rings, but they gave me about half an attitude and said they tasted like shit._"

Jill couldn't resist a laugh. "Barry, they like tuna and chili, and … "

"Oh, never mind." Barry muttered, glancing off to the side and gesturing angrily toward the side. "Chris Junior! Get your brother out of the dishwasher!" A brief pause over Jill's end. "_Don't talk to me like that! I got your mother on the other end!_ ... _I do too! You wanna talk to her?_"

After a struggle on the phone, Christopher Junior picked up the phone and exhaled. "Mom, can you tell Uncle Barry to stop freaking out?"

Jill could hear Barry's angry voice in the background, shouting something about how he wasn't freaking out. She giggled slightly and then, resumed her stern parental role.

"Chris, stop sticking James in the dishwasher and behave," she told him. "Your father and I are doing fine and I just wanted to make sure that you boys are okay as well." She hesitated. "I miss you guys."

Christopher sighed and rolled his eyes. "Mom, come on," he protested. "You do this all the time when you're away. We're fine."

Jill had to agree with that. Ever since she had been through hell and high water with Chris, things have been a bit more hectic for her. And even now, she just didn't want to take chances with her children seeing since she had dealt with so much in the past. It was just a typical motherly thing.

"Alright, I'll let you go then, okay?" she told him. "Behave. We will be back soon. I promise."

"_Okay, mom. I'll see you later_."

While Jill was outside the AC, Chris was focused intently on the empty, black eyes of the Tyrant. He didn't notice as the creature's eyes sent back images to the source underground Raccoon City.

The strange man who watched just laughed softly with amusement. "Chris Redfield?" he said, softly. "Even now, I thought you to be dead. This is getting interesting indeed."

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest with a cold laugh to follow.

O

_Note_-I used quotes from Faust and JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE, German author, painter, scientist, philosopher, and statesman. His work is a particular favorite of mine. ^_^


	28. Chapter 28: What Monsters Are Made Of

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: What Monsters Are Made Of**

_Bowling Green, Kentucky_

The sound of Karl's whistle had attracted visibly hundreds of undead to their position in the basement room. Wesker and the rest crowded to one another, back to back, facing the various crowds of zombies. Rose dragged Krauser's body toward the doorway to keep him out of harms way until they could find a way to get out of this danger and back onto their objective.

"If it was a fight that you wanted, you should have said so!" Rose spat, glaring across the decayed groups of undead, "Instead you just bring these zombies in after us?"

Karl grinned at her and tilted his head to one side. "Do you think that I am a coward, you foolish girl?" he whispered, "I consider myself a lover of sport, really. With the mighty Albert Wesker and the shamed Rose Bedford here before me, I wonder how badly you will scream!" He blew his whistle once more; an issue of command to the zombies.

The undead began to swarm over them all and it turned into chaos in that small, confined room. Guns went off and blood sprayed all over the place, raining down upon them in a shower of death and gore, filling the air with the taste of metal and hot fluid. Rose struggled to bypass a zombie and her eyes locked onto Karl. Once she took him out, the zombies should be no trouble at all to deal with. She deduced that the whistle was the cause and somehow, he was able to control them with it. She pushed the zombie aside with all of her might and rushed for him with a fierce shout of fury.

"Why don't you fight me, you son of a bitch?" she raged.

Suddenly, Karl reacted just as fast as she had and raised one closed hand, blasting a handful of powder straight for her eyes. Rose cried out and immediately lost her ability to see, her entire world darkening in a sharp stinging sensation of pure pain. She jolted sharply and grunted in pain as soon as Karl kicked her square in the stomach, sending her tumbling in a flurry of limbs.

"Hahah!" Karl cackled insanely, "Let's see how the world looks from MY perspective, sweetie girl!"

Rose rubbed her eyes, moaning desperately and she struggled hard to focus on the world around her, but everything around her had begun to dim and fade, bending all reality into a horrible mix of shadows and bloody blurs. She gasped in horror and disbelief, struggling with all her worth to keep hold of her world and failing just as miserably.

"What the hell is this?" Rose shouted, thrashing the air wildly around her with both of her hands. "What the fuck did you do to me, you asshole? WHAT DID YOU DOO?"

Karl just laughed and Rose could barely even hear his voice through the bloody-red haze of pain and shadow. "You'd be surprised what kind of drugs the delightful humans can come up with these days, Rose!" he crooned, "I like to call this one The Sting. And you are about to find out why!"

Rose shrieked at the burning sensation that began to fill her eyes. It felt as if someone had just taken a knife and sliced her across her face. She tried to wipe at them with both of her hands, but the more she tried, the less good that it did. She felt her head filling with a cloud of agony and pain and slowly, the burn gave way to a stranger feeling.

Suddenly, a great heavy sensation of terror filled Rose's heart. Being unable to see was a scare enough for her, but she began to feel as if she wasn't a part of her reality anymore, like the world around her was slowly fading away into a strange, listless illusion. Her heart felt as if it were filled with Helium and lifting right out of her body.

"Oh Rooooossseee?" Karl sang, delighted to see her so very tormented. "What do you have in your head that you want to hide from everyone? Oh, I bed it something _very _bad."

O

"Where … where am I?"

Rose looked around and noticed that she wasn't in the sanitarium basement anymore. Instead, she was standing inside a familiar, dark office room surrounded by portraits of a familiar man and various framed documents and college degrees. The room itself had always been a bit creepy to her, as far back as she could remember.

She remembered this room especially. She was constantly sent here during her time in private school for getting into trouble with her teachers and superiors. Rose had never really been a bad student for too much, but often times, she enjoyed talking out during class and correcting the teachers when she thought that they had been wrong.

And sure enough, as those thoughts left her, the office door opened and Rose's eyes grew wide in disbelief. She saw herself - as a small child - being dragged into the office roughly by one arm from a teacher that she remembered all too well. He had a receding grey hairline and cold, green eyes. His suit was always neat and in order. He was a picky and fussy man about every little thing, especially about students. He had always felt that students should be submissive and do everything that they were told. In other words, he was an asshole.

"Mr. Harold?" Rose murmured, even though it seemed as if he couldn't hear her.

The man at the desk suddenly turned in his chair and scowled. His features were old, wrinkled and seemingly gruff. On the tag of the front desk, it read Principal J. Carlos. Ahh, Rose remembered him all too well. He was a stern and cruel man who felt that his word was law. Anyone caught disobeying him got the worst end of the whip. Sometimes, she got the impression that he was just a hardass who got his kicks from laying dictation to little kids.

"What's she done now?" he snapped, leaning back in his chair.

The teacher - Mr. Harold - glared down at a quiet younger version of Rose in his grip. She seemed so silent, unwilling to offer any protest of any kind on her behalf. That was how she was in her youth; an accommodating, hushed little child that no one took seriously. She had been used to it and cared very little about her situation at school. Besides, growing up, she had learned that she'd deal with people like that.

Rose watched her younger counterpart with grim dismay. She had never been a good kid in school, always treated a little unfairly because of her intellect and her lack of decent communication skills. She remembered being somewhat socially awkward growing up because of that. Not many people enjoyed being around her and she had very few friends, save for Beth.

Suddenly, the dream world around her slowly began to change, the room itself melting away with the consistency of molten liquid. The teachers and her younger version crumbled away into little grey particles. She was in a black room surrounded by an empty nothingness and could hear fragments of voices from various people that roared together in a bizarre and demonic way.

" - If you have a quality, be proud of that quality. Let the very object of it define you."

" - Don't let them scare you."

" - You are special, Rose. So very special."

Rose looked around, struggling to locate the sources. "WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?" she shouted.

O

Outside of Rose's own distorted mind, she was actually standing as still as a stone statue, her eyes wide open and vacant, glimmers of horror and despair shimmering through them. Her feet were locked firmly to the floor and her hands remained as still and gnarled like claws. Her mouth was cracked slightly open with a little sliver of drool dangling from her chin.

"What the FUCK did you do to her, you bastard?" Beth screamed, running over to Rose and shaking her, trying to wake her up.

Karl just smiled and shrugged one shoulders. "Put your concerns for her aside, for now," he said, "I wanted to have a little word with Albert and she would have just been very rude." He looked around the basement with a chuckle, observing the piles of the corpses around them. "You have taken care of them all, you are very talented indeed."

Wesker's eyes were a blood red, glowing with fury. He was panting and regaining his breath from the struggle that the undead had posed for him. "If you want to speak with me, you may do so on MY terms alone! Now … " He gestured to Rose. "You fix whatever you've done and come quietly!"

Karl laughed at that. "Oh Albert, we aren't going to end this fun so soon!" he told him. "After all … I think that once I kill you, Spencer will take me back into his loving arms again."

Wesker smirked sourly, clicking his tongue against the roof of his teeth. "Do you honestly believe that?" he snapped, "If so, you are an even bigger fool than I thought. Spencer _loathes_ you, Karl. You are a flawed defect to him and therefore useless in his plans. I don't know what he filled your tiny head with, but it was all lies."

Karl's smiled disappeared. "You're just jealous because he trusts me!"

Wesker let out a bark of mocking laughter. "Karl, if I truly were jealous of you, I think that I'd have to reduce my own personal intellect to that of the common house fly."

Karl laughed with him, not deterred by that sneer. "Oh Albert!" he sighed, "Haven't you learned _anything_ by now? You cannot hurt me. Nothing you can say or do will hurt me."

Wesker didn't seem to care whether or not he hurt Karl. It was irrelevant to his mission and quite frankly, unimportant entirely. His eyes landed on Rose's immobile form. Karl followed his gaze and grinned widely.

"Don't worry about her, Albert," he sneered, "She's in her own … happy place now."

O

It wasn't a happy place.

Rose was visually about 12 years old in this new illusion; she felt a dull ache in her chest as she watched herself outside in the backyard, pursuing fireflies. Her father was nowhere to be seen and she was alone. He was probably inside preparing dinner for them. He had always enjoyed cooking for Rose because she loved every little thing that he did for her. Somehow, he got joy from her joys as well.

For some dark and strange reason, Rose couldn't remember this little part in her life. When she tried to remember, all that she could see where fragmented images and sobbing voices, so she knew that it wasn't a good memory. A small, terrified part of her wanted to shut this off, but another part of her felt that it was necessary to see this.

When a deafening popping sound resonated through the air, it took 12 year old Rose a long moment to realize that it was a gunshot sound. Despite her own personal fears and the terrified grimace on her face, she jumped from her spot and hurried to the house, calling loudly for her father. It made no difference if there was a danger there, the little girl would find him.

Rose felt her mind slowly beginning to recollect this little part of her past. It had taken so many, many years for her to forget about it and to her realization; she must have just blotted this incident out from her head. After all, what was coming next, she didn't want to see again, forcing herself to remember the most dreadful day of her life.

"No … " she moaned, covering her face with both hands, "No … I … I don't want to remember this!"

But no matter how hard she tried to pull away from it, she was only yanked that much further into her illusion home. Her 12 year old counterpart was searching the house for her father, only to discover a heavy trail of dark crimson that led from the kitchen to the library. The little girl looked horrified and confused by this, whimpering quietly.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut, trying to blot out the sounds of her younger version's suddenly screams. She didn't want to open her eyes and see the thing that had haunted the dark corners of her mind for years. But her eyes opened not of her own accord. It was as if her brain was signalling for the rest of her body to see, to see and face this darkness.

In the library, books had been tossed to the floor and chairs overturned. A side lamp was lying on the floor, smashed and cracked in half, casting a glow at an eerie angle against her father's immobile body in the center of the destruction. A menacing pool of crimson blood had formed beneath his body, sticky and black against the lighting.

"D - Daddy?" Younger Rose squeaked, shaking his body slightly.

Rose wanted to cover he eyes, but she couldn't tear them away from the scene. "Wake up!" she shrieked, even though she knew that neither her father nor her younger self could hear her.

Younger Rose's small body was shaking, her shoulders trembling; suddenly she could make out the sound of movement in the dining room, no doubt the assailant who had shot him. Shaking, her tiny body swaying to and fro, she grabbed a glass wedge lying in a pile of smaller shards and walked with robotic grace toward the dining room.

Rose watched her go with horror and slowly followed behind. There was no life in the movements, just murderous, cold intent to take revenge on her fallen father. It was terrible because Rose could not recall such hatred. Her younger counterpart suddenly screamed like a thing possessed and drove the glass shard deep into the assailant's cheek before he had a chance to even register her there.

All Rose saw was blood flying through the air and two shapes screaming and thrashing wildly on the floor. Finally, the assailant gathered his wits, dislodging the younger child from his body and sending her flying through the air with a fierce kick to her ribs. She landed hard into a side table with a sharp wail of agony loud enough to curl the hairs of the dead.

"Little bitch!" he screamed, spitting furiously through his words, "You wanna die like your fucking daddy?"

Rose flinched and her hand instinctively went to her own abdomen. She remembered this part now, remembered the instant pain that had followed after this quick moment. The assailant would be driven with so much blind fury; he would stab her in the shoulder with the glass shard that she had struck him with. And much to her horror, he slowly began to do just that.

She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the screams to dissipate through the back of her head and blotting out the visual before her. When she opened them again, the assailant was staggering out of the house through the front door, holding his gushing cheek and screeching furiously to himself, a jumble of words that made no sense to her.

Younger Rose was lying in a pool of her own warm blood, her very world spinning around her and slowly starting to fade into darkness. She crawled weakly across the floor to reach her dead father, determination in her movements. Despite the pain and the slowly losing of her consciousness, the child finally made it to her father, blood stained and gasping in pain.

Rose didn't want to see anymore. "Stop it … !" she begged, shouting out to whoever would hear her. "STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY MORE!" She started sobbing bitterly. "PLEASE, JUST STOP!"

O

"So much pain in this one… " Karl whispered, arms circling around Rose's neck. She had fallen to her knees now and her head hung in defeat and mental shock. "So much sweet … sweet … delicious pain. You are so full of it, aren't you?" He exhaled and shook his head with pity, petting her head with one, bony hand. "I understand … I understand it too well. You try to hide your agony from family … friends … but you are slowly dying inside. You are becoming a rotted, cold corpse with no feeling other than that numb, biting sting … "

His fingers wrapped around her hair to hold her in place and he brought a small knife close to her ear, the tip grazing the fleshy lobe. Rose didn't react to his movements at all, almost if she had finally been broken by the sights of her mind.

"I wonder what things you've heard as well." Karl hissed

Then, he stabbed the knife deeply into her ear.

Rose suddenly screamed in white hot agony and her body collapsed to the floor in a pool of her own blood. Her eyes remained deadened, lifeless and her body trembling.

"Rose!" Beth shrieked.

Wesker and Beth attempted to go and offer the woman help, but several shapes of the undead swarmed around them, suffocating them with their rancid, moldy breath and their slippery, clammy grips.

"Goddamn it!" Beth cried, kicking and shoving the dead creatures aside with every bit of strength that she had, trying with every fiber of her being to reach her dear friend and save her.

Karl smirked down at Rose and pressed a foot into her back, bending down and yanking the knife from her ear with a strong tug. She reacted only with a sharp grunt of pain and nothing more. He watched her and licked the tip of the knife of the blood that drenched it. Ahh, the blood. Within man, the blood carried the pain of every suffering that they ever had to endure.

In the name of all that was unholy and sinful, she tasted so damn good! Karl had never tasted anything as sweet as her before and now, he had the pleasure of having her all to himself. What a feast she would make. He grinned hungrily down at her, eyes filled with a fiery, carnal passion that could only be seen in a man truly insane as he was.

"Oh … you sweet, sweet girl … " he sighed, bending down and rolling her onto her back with a slight kick. He stroked the end of the knife down the length of her cheek and opened his drooling mouth. "Oh, how wonderful you will taste."

Rose didn't hear or see anything around her anymore. Her illusory world began to crumble and pave way into darkness. It was a darkness that was neither good nor bad. It was darkness where things flourished that no human being's mind could survive against. Her mind had strained too far, its wings beating and her heart beating too fast for her to breathe.

She was choking, suffocating in a dark, cold feeling that could only be described as something as insane as Karl himself. Maybe even more. It was a terrible place that she had never wanted to go to.

Finally, all that she was and ever would be began to fade away as a more primal instinct within her took hold. Everything faded away into dust and smoke until nothing existed any more.

And then, she shattered.

Just as Karl bent down to take his first bite of her tender flesh, Rose's hand suddenly shot up and latched tightly onto his face.

Wesker and Beth saw this amid the chaos of the undead, and Wesker reacted with a small gasp, lips slightly parting in surprise. Karl seemed just as stunned as well, looking down between Rose's fingers into horrible, glowing red eyes.

A sound filled the air, a sound that Beth and Jonas had never heard before in their entire lives since they had ever known the woman. It was a sound that curdled their very blood and stopped their hearts.

The eerie sound of Rose's maniacal laughter.

Rose suddenly grabbed the back of Karl's head and jumped to her feet, forcing him onto his back with a powerful toss. He landed hard, splintering the concrete beneath their weight in the process. Karl struggled beneath her weight and even shoved his fist into her face and clawed at her eyes, but Rose barely flinched from it, eyes widened and teeth showing in a display of menace and insanity.

Jonas and Beth looked terrified. "Uh … Rose?" Beth squeaked, hardly recognizing her own voice.

Rose watched as Karl struggled beneath her to land a fatal blow and finally, with a ferocious snarl, she sank her teeth deeply into his left hand and jerked her head to one side, tearing the bones and flesh completely off.

Karl screamed in agony; it was a horrible, high-pitched sound. Rose grabbed his throat now, grinning down at him through a mouthful of blood and gore. It dripped down the length of her chin and neck, giving her the appearance of a primordial, savage goddess. There was nothing of her in those eyes anymore. She had been strained too far.

Karl started to laugh now; his bleeding, lacerated hand trembling and spurting fountains of blood from the torn veins. He looked to be going through a seizure, but his body was simply shaking uncontrollably due to the blood loss.

"Laugh … !" Rose whispered at him, voice numb and empty of emotion other than her own humanity. "Laugh … clown! LAUGH!"

Karl cried out sharply as she slammed his head down against the floor over and over again. She was laughing cruelly, eyes filled with unholy delirium.

"I thought you LIKED PAIN!" Rose shouted, with glee. "Don't you enjoy this? Don't you like it?" She was spitting like a thing possessed. "DON'T YOU? HUH? HUH? HUH?"

"Rose! What are you doing?" Beth shouted, desperately. "Stop it!"

Wesker watched Rose's movements, her gestures and her words and shook his head. Even he couldn't believe that Rose was capable of something like this. "She doesn't hear you, Beth."

Jonas bit his lip and covered his mouth with both hands. "No … " he breathed.

Rose raised her hand and positioned it like she had before, when she had attempted to murder Beth because of her being controlled. "Squeal, little pig!" she shouted. "Squeal for me! I want to hear you scream! SCREAM ... SCREAM! SCREAM!"

Karl grinned up at her, laughing and shaking his head. The back of his skull had begun to form a pool of blood. "Why should I?" he whispered. "I'm enjoying every second of this!" He didn't wait for an answer after the long, tense silence and chuckled at her. " … 'Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he doesn't become a monster' … "

Rose screamed at him, a horrible sound and grabbed him by the head with one hand and began to punch him in the face with the other. This went on for what seemed like forever until Beth let out a cry.

"Rose … please stop it!" she begged, voice laced with sorrow.

Rose stared at her; slit eyes narrowing as if she had said the strangest thing in the world. She glanced down at the bloody mush that was once Karl's head and then, her own blood-drenched fist. This was followed by a slight widening of her eyes and an equally slow drop of her unholy smile as awe and realization began to return to her mind. Whatever had caused her to break; whatever had caused her to lose touch with who she was began to loosen its grip onto her.

"No … " she whispered, voice returning.

O

The batteries had been replaced inside the RV and everyone was on the road again, resuming their trip to Colorado to reach Raccoon City. Rose was sitting in the back of the RV, holding her legs to her chest, chin pressed into her knees. She was staring off into space, eyes seemingly devoid of life.

"Someone should talk to her," Jonas whispered. "Or at least tell her to clean up. She should have to sit in her misery at least."

"Maybe you should, being such a GREAT friend and all." Wesker told him, contemptuously.

Jonas stared at him weakly. "But what can I say?" he asked. "I'm … I'm not very good at making people feel better."

Krauser was lying on the couch, a packet of ice on his head. He just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Well now that is for DAMN certain … " he muttered.

Beth looked back at Rose while she tended to Krauser. She handed him a glass of what looked like greenish blue fluid. He took it and sniffed the end of the glass before shuddering and looking up at her curiously.

"What the hell is in this shit?" he asked.

Beth smiled softly. "Best you don't know," she told him. "But it'll make you feel better. So drink it all up."

Krauser shrugged one shoulder and drank it down. He coughed slightly. "Ahh! This tastes like shit!"

"You know what shit tastes like?" Jonas teased, laughing.

Krauser glared at him. "Shut up."

Instead of letting her sulk alone, Beth walked to the back of the RV and took a spot beside Rose. The woman barely even twitched when Beth sat down beside her and simply remained immobile.

"Rose? Rose … " Beth said, softly. "Talk to me." No response. "Look, how can we figure out what happened if you don't say anything?"

"I don't know what happened, alright!" Rose suddenly shouted, startling her friend. She softened immediately and glanced at her sorrowfully. "I'm sorry, Beth. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just … I don't know why. I … I lost it. Everything that I was … just disappeared as soon as I saw … _that _day."

Beth's brows rose. "What day?" she asked.

Rose looked at her and her eyes began to fill somewhat. "The day … my dad died."

Beth's eyes slowly widened and her lips parted with a quick gasp to follow. Jonas didn't seem to get it.

He hadn't met Rose until shortly after they entered college together. Jonas had to admit, the first day that he met her, he didn't think very much about her. She was an outcast, like any other girl who had a guard dog for a best friend. But sure enough, during one of their classes, he had her for a laboratory partner and he was the first to strike up a conversation. Rose became best friends with him afterwards after he had learned that she was a pretty swell girl.

"What day?" Jonas asked.

Beth shook her head. "Jonas, Rose doesn't want to talk about it right now."

Rose put a hand on her shoulder. "No, Beth, I think it's time I told him," she said, eyes landing on Jonas'. "I…I never said anything about my dad because … well, I blocked it out. I did everything I could to forget that day, except that he did die. It was … it was terrible."

Krauser rolled onto his stomach to focus attention onto her. "Geez, what the hell happened?"

Wesker glanced into the rear view mirror to Rose, unable to resist a semblance of curiosity too.

"Well, I was 12 years old, collecting fireflies that night," Rose began, "Dad was inside getting dinner started. I had a lot of fireflies in my jar to show dad. That's when I heard it, the gunshot. I ran inside, even though my heart was pounding a hundred miles an hour to find my dad. When I got in, the front door was open and there were things tossed all over the floor. I looked around for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere. That was until I noticed the…blood. He was in his study, lying in a pool of his own blood. He had a bullet in his chest.

I couldn't move, at first. It became difficult to breathe and my world … I was losing control of everything. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. All I could feel was hatred, hatred at who could have done this and why I wasn't there to stop it. And that was then that I heard it. The guy was still in my house. He was in the dining room, going through what were rightfully _my father's_ things. I felt nothing but a cold numbness and I picked up a glass shard lying on the floor …

His back was to me, so it would be easy to sneak up onto him." Her voice started to change, became taut with pain. "There it was. I was so close … I wanted to do the unthinkable. I wanted to kill him, hurt him, tear him to pieces and do things that would send me to hell for all eternity. And finally, he turned and I shoved the shard into his cheek as hard as I could. He screamed, of course and kicked me in the stomach. I hit the wall harder than I ever had in my entire life and I knew that I had broken a few ribs and my leg in the process. I could feel them snapping like small twigs.

Well, I don't think the man liked what I did very much and he took the shard from his cheek and stabbed it into my shoulder." She paused to watch Jonas jump slightly from his spot and Krauser flinch somewhat.

"What kind of asshole stabs a little girl, man?" Krauser snapped. "I've done some fucked up things in my life, but I'd never hurt a little girl. That's just not right. You don't do that."

Wesker however, furrowed his brows, as if he was thinking of something that could help Rose figure out who had done such a thing to her 'father'. But she continued with her story and didn't even look up at him. There was more to it and he knew that it would only get worse.

"Well, I somehow made it to my father's side, even though I was in a world of pain. I thought that I was going to die, and if I was, I wanted to be near him before it happened. I wanted to call for help, but I was afraid that if I moved anymore, I'd slip away from him. It became unbearable, horrible, but death would not come. Every time I thought that my weakened breath was my last, I still lived. Death stayed away from me and it seemed that no matter how much I wanted to give up, my anger wouldn't let me.

I didn't know that I had been lying there for days. It took some time and I finally woke up into the hospital. I wasn't sure how I had gotten there, but I had bandages and a cast on my arm and left leg. There were flowers at my bedside and I took the card, hoping that it would have been from my father, hoping that I had a nightmare and just fell out of a tree. But it wasn't. He was dead and somehow, I had been sent to the hospital. Only, I found out later that Beth's mother had found me. She came by the house to offer to have a sleepover because Beth had been asking about it all week. When she found me, I was barely alive.

The doctors told me I was very lucky to have survived. The police were tracing the assailant and doing everything that they could to find him. Well, they never did. In fact, if I had seen his face, it would have helped a great deal to them. But I hadn't. To this day, I still don't even know anything and any reason as to why he'd kill my father. A month or so passed of psychological evaluation and treatment and I was ready to go back to school. Things were different there too.

No one made fun of me like they usually did. I didn't get spit balls, drive-by pelting. Nothing. I didn't speak a word. I knew that I should have, but whenever I opened my mouth to speak, all that would come out was a dry squeak. It was difficult to study because every time I'd try to write, all I'd see was blood. Eventually, I soon made myself forget about that day. I kept the memory of my father's death alive, but how it had transpired, I soon forgot. It became easier because after months of silence, I found my voice again and things went back to normal."

Jonas gestured to his own shoulder. "But, what about the scar on your shoulder?" he asked. "Didn't that click any memories at all?"

Rose chuckled softly, but not the kind of chuckle where you found something amusing. It was the kind that sounded like someone had been through hell and back.

"Honestly, I soon forgot how I even got it!" she told him. "I would look at the scar and … nothing."

Jonas stared at her, looking like he'd cry. "Oh my God, Rose," he said. "I didn't know … I'm so sorry."

She shook her head. "It's no one's fault here, Jonas," she told him. "In fact, I think I should thank Karl for what he did."

Krauser frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah. I think it was something that I had to confront … " Rose replied, casting her eyes out to the passing road.

Wesker watched her through the rear view window before he cast his gaze back to the road before him. Rose…While he agreed that she had to confront her problems, he had not realized that he was dealing with one such as her. Her story seemed so much more terrible than what he had endured.

He had to give her credit for admitting to her flaws. Wesker himself would never have admitted to such things. He didn't think that he had flaws and Chris had never confessed to having any himself. Rose was a lot stronger than he thought.

It was almost irritating.

_There's some things, we don't talk about  
rather do without  
and just hold the smile  
falling in and out of love  
ashamed and proud of  
together all the while _

_You can never say never  
why we don't know when  
time and time again  
younger now than we were before _

_Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
Don't let me go_

O_  
_

_Note_-Karl's final quote is a Frederic Nietzsche quote. And I'm sure that you have noticed that I placed Raccoon City in Colorado. See, no one is entirely sure if it is located there, but I simply used the state based on theory alone. It's not canon, as far as I know so don't take my written word for it. And the song here is the Fray's "Never Say Never". I know the song might seem like it doesn't fit, but…well, listen to it and maybe you'll hear what I heard when I chose to use this song.


	29. Chapter 29: Urban Decay

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Urban Decay**

_Nashville, Tennessee _

Everything was covered.

Well, more like smothered entirely.

They had no idea how else to describe the horror of what they saw when they arrived in Nashville. Buildings were drenched with a thick, syrupy resin and various patches of circular objects were stuck to the walls. There were no signs of life among the city and no signs of the undead as well. It was an unnerving sight to see and they weren't sure what was worse: the undead or the eerie silence.

"Look at those egg casings!" Jonas gasped. His tone dripped with humor. "They look like giant lumps of bird shit!"

Krauser muffled his giggle and Wesker sounded annoyed by the childish behavior.

"Silence … " he warned, his tone undeniably sour.

Rose furrowed her brow and glanced up at Wesker. She had her hands tightly on the steering wheel. She seemed to consider just tearing like hell through the city, but then again, that wouldn't be good. She gave a quick look up at Wesker before focusing onto the road once more.

"What should we do?" she asked.

"Take it slow, Rose," he whispered, leaning over her. "We do not want any problems. We're a full day ahead of schedule and I don't want that spoiled due to an action of rashness."

Rose nodded and gave the gas pedal a bit of a push. She wasn't about to argue with him because she too didn't want to deal with mutated insects or whatever creatures that might have rested inside the casings. The RV eased silently through the resin - covered streets. Everyone kept watch over the buildings and the windows in them. So far, there were no signs of any movement around them.

"So far so good … " Krauser said, eyes wandering to every corner and street. "There are no signs of anything out there. I think we can make it outta here in one piece."

And as soon as he said that, Jonas and Wesker began to notice several skeletal shapes slowly appearing around the rooftops and windows. They had long, jagged claws, segmented rib cages that jutted out from their slender, insect-like bodies. Their lower jaws spread two ways like the mandibles of a shellfish and their eyes were blood-red. They could only be one thing:

"Reapers … ?" Wesker murmured, focusing intently on the creatures, "Of course they'd be Reapers."

"What are these things, Wesker?" Jonas asked, lowering his head slightly back from the window.

"Reapers, Jonas, Reapers," Wesker told him, voice laced with irritation at his lack of an attention span, "They are pitiful defects that came from splicing human and insect DNA with the T - virus. They are living; breathing proof of Umbrella's many failures."

"So are we, I guess … " Rose mumbled, under her breath.

Wesker dared a glance back at her to see what kind of a reaction that she might have been wearing, but there was none. She seemed intently focused on getting them out of the city as soon as possible and not sharing information about the other T - virus species with anyone else. It was an interesting change in behavior prior to yesterday's events.

The movement of the RV inside the empty street seemed to have slowly intrigued the Reapers. They silently began to descend from the building floors and windows, chirping and hissing quietly to one another. The creatures began to gradually follow the moving RV, and the small crowd began developing into a massive throng of them that tagged behind the vehicle.

"Jonas, are they following us?" Krauser asked, softly.

Jonas peered out through the shingles of the side window and looked around for movement. "I can't see any. Maybe it's not as bad as we thought it might - Oh! No, there they are … "

"Damnit, sons of bitches know we're in here!" Krauser hissed, clutching his weapon close to his chest.

Wesker brought his voice down to a whisper, glaring at them both. "Shhh … " he said, "Keep your mouths shut ...!"

The Reapers uttered strange, trilling calls and their bodies began to carefully flank the RV. One of them leapt onto the roof and landed on top with a loud thud. All heads looked up to the ceiling and a claw punched through the metal, swiping down to grab at heads. Everyone standing in their spots ducked low to avoid being grabbed.

"Shit, Rose, punch it!" Krauser shouted.

Rose didn't have to be told twice. She slammed the heel of her foot onto the break and the RV blasted forward. The tires squealed over the sounds of the roaring Reapers and the crouched insect standing on the rooftops swiped and clawed to reach inside while hanging on for dear life. Jonas scurried to grab his shotgun and thrust it up into the punctured hole, firing several rounds until the Reaper took a direct hit of its head, sending splatters of clear fluid and brownish chunks down onto Jonas' body.

"Eww!" Jonas cried, struggling to shake the stuff off.

It was disgusting, smelled horrible, and stuck to his body like bubble gum. He tried harder to peel the gunk from his body just before the entire RV jolted wildly. Several Reapers had already jumped onto the roof of the vehicle and were attempting to claw their way through it, resuming the damage to the hole that the first creature had started.

"Shit!" Rose shouted. "Hang on!"

She struggled to turn the RV sharply in an attempt to shake the creatures off, misjudging the danger of her action; the sheer size and angle caused the massive four-wheeled machine to slowly lean on its tires. Everything inside the RV slowly tumbled to one side, scattering everyone off of their feet in the process. Krauser grasped onto the end of the kitchen table and Wesker seized the edges of the walls to maintain his balance. He looked over to Rose furiously.

"Rose!" he barked, over the roar of the engine.

"I'm trying!" she shouted back.

Before Rose could regain control, the RV tilted to the side, slamming over and sending it sliding across concrete, showering sparks through the air. Rose's forehead slammed into the steering wheel and her world instantly went black.

O

It hurt.

Rose wasn't sure if that was either her chest or the fact that she tasted a mouthful of bitter smog from the smoking RV engine. As her vision slowly came into focus and her wits returned, she struggled to get onto her feet. There were no signs of the others and the windows had been shattered, the gaping hole had grown in the ceiling.

She dazedly climbed onto all fours and scented the air for traces of blood. To her relief, the iron scent was not thick, which meant that it wouldn't be so hard to find them unscathed. But she'd have to hurry before those Reapers managed to get a hold of them and turn them into dinner.

"Jonas?" she called, cupping her mouth, "Beth? Wesker? Krauser?" As she called their names, she searched through overturned cars, open doors and windows covered with resin.

To her unease, the Reapers were nowhere in sight, which meant that they could have been on a feeding frenzy right about now. Even as she strained to hear every sound through the city of Nashville, she could make out no sounds of her friends.

"Shit … please be alright … !" she prayed, breaking out into a run once more.

_Meanwhile_

_Raccoon City Underground_

The man was continuing to watch her, a smile of arrogance touching his lips. He was sitting in the darkened room with his comrades in a circle around the table, watching Rose's progress. It was silent for a while before he gestured to the computer screen.

"She is alone, now," he told them, "and she is without friends. Thank you, Major Vanek for your efforts. You may be dismissed. Give Rose a proper … greeting and see to it that she is well taken care of."

The man - - Major Vanek - - rose from his chair, leaning forward in the light, revealing his US Army uniform and various badges donning it. His face was cold, wrinkled in a perpetual sneer, but his voice was gentle, quiet and calm. His left hand was covered in burns and scars and he gave Spencer a small salute before he stood at attention.

"And how should I do that, sir?" he asked.

The strange man simply grinned at him, a lot more on his mind other than Rose's good health. Obviously, he wanted Major Vanek to do something to her; break her will, persuade her that there was more to the destruction of this world than just pure devastation. If it brought her directly to him, then he had no compunctions of how he would go about that.

"Whatever means necessary," he replied, "I want her and Albert. I want them both _alive_."

O

_Wilder Wein - vor deinem Schloss  
Wilder Wein - ich bin bereit  
Man meldet Ankunft - nur für den König  
Gott steh mir bei - und öffne deine Tore  
Wilder Wein - und ganz langsam  
Wilder Wein - so warm und feucht _

_Wilder Wein - vor deinem Schoss  
Wilder Wein - es steht geschrieben  
Tief im Wasser - kreuzt man nicht  
Doch meine Lust - verlacht die Flügel  
Wilder Wein - wie eine Taube  
Wilder Wein - so nass und heiß _

_Wilder Wein - vor diesem Dunkel  
Wilder Wein - von Licht geheilt  
Es bleibt verborgen -  
sonst könnten wir uns wehren  
Ich warte auf dich - am Ende der Nacht  
Wilder Wein - nur eine Traube  
Wilder Wein - und bitter wie Schnee _

_Ich warte auf dich - am Ende der Nacht_

Rose had no hope of finding them.

No matter how often she scented the ground, the slime, the resin; it was useless. There was nothing that gave even the slightest hint that they were alive. She felt sick to her stomach, like she wanted to throw up, but couldn't. Slowly sinking to her knees, she covered her face with both hands and felt a hot lump in the pit of her stomach.

"Rose?"

The voice was very soft, but she definitely heard it. Rose looked back over her shoulders, eyes darting around the silent, empty streets to look for any signs of movement.

"Hello?" she said, "Who's there?"

The voice wasn't anyone that she was familiar with. Maybe there was perhaps one survivor who had been hiding out in this hell of a city and had just somehow managed to survive the horde of insects. But then again, it would also lead to question: How would this person know her name? She stood up and glared out toward the sound of the voice.

"Okay, whoever you are, just come out right now and stop fucking around!" she shouted.

There was nothing but utter silence that followed and Rose began to wonder if she was just hearing things, if the heavy stench of resin was just making her a little bit delirious the entire time. But that wouldn't be right, though, taken her keen hearing into consideration. Someone was definitely here with her, someone other than her friends.

"Come out now!" she shouted again.

After a few moments of waiting for a response, a figure stepped out from behind a shining tower of resin. It was Major Vanek, smiling at her with his fingers clenched tightly into shaking fists. Rose had never seen this man before.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Major Harry S. Vanek, at your service," the man said, bowing once in some form of respect. Rose couldn't tell if it was a gesture of mockery or politeness. It was difficult to speculate.

"So how do you know my name, Vanek?" Rose asked, tensing her shoulders and her legs. She had a bad feeling about this man, but wasn't too sure why. Anyone that she didn't know who knew her name couldn't be a good person.

"Friends in high places, Rose," Vanek told her, gesturing toward the sky with one finger. He smiled and began to pace back and forth in his spot, his tone thoughtful. "And from these similar sources, they have told me that you have accepted the blood of Albert Wesker and you became like him yourself."

Rose narrowed her eyes and they flickered between crimson to a bright red. "Who told you that?" Her voice locked up into her throat and she felt a sense of unease pulsating through her.

"No one, dear girl, no one," Vanek continued, chuckling, "I have been watching you for quite a while, and I think that Lord Spencer was right: You will make the perfect Mother of the New World."

Rose stared at him in shock. "Wait, a second ... m - mother?" she stammered. "I can't be your mother. I'm not even - - " She cut herself off as she suddenly began to realize the relevance of the comment and how heavily it weighed on her.

Vanek grinned widely at her expression.

"That guy ... K - Karl … he had said something … " Rose whispered, to herself, trying to collect her thoughts out loud, "He said he could hear six of the beating hearts when there were only five of us standing in the basement." Her eyes snapped wide and horror choked her voice. It became clear to her now; why Karl's keen sense of hearing had picked up six beating hearts ... "That's - that's impossible! That can't be right! No! _NO!_"

Vanek smirked at her and his voice was absolutely giddy. "Tell me, Rose," he crooned, "How good was it?"

She snarled at him, fisting her hands in her hair and shrieking furiously. No. It wasn't possible. One moment of thoughtless passion couldn't have been enough to … It wasn't possible. It wasn't. It COULDN'T BE.

"You're lying!" she shouted.

Vanek stared at her, brows slanted with pity and voice filled with mockery. "Aww … wasn't ready to become a mother, eh?" he sneered, "So ironic. Neither was your mother."

Rose blinked, dazed. "My m - mother?"

"Ahhh!" Vanek crooned, slowly advancing toward her, "You've never met your dear mother, have you? All you have are dark memories, mirrored fragments of the past that probably do not belong to you."

Rose bared her teeth. "How do you know my mother?"

"Oh, I know her quite well indeed, as well as your true blood father," Vanek continued, "Although you must be curious, I have to warn you that the end results of their fates are not without … tears."

"They're alive?" Rose looked haunted.

"Yes."

Rose almost smiled. It had been so long, so long since she had a real family. For a brief second, she had forgotten the real reason as to why she was angry with him to begin with.

"But … "

Rose didn't like the resigned sound in that single uttered word. "But … what?" she asked, her voice low and tense.

"I do not think that you will enjoy seeing them again," Vanek continued, pity laced in his voice, "It is quite a sadness … "

Rose sized him up. "Why?" she demanded. "What happened? What did you do to them?"

Vanek just continued to smile. "You'll find out … soon enough, Rose. You'll find out … "

O

"Ugh … Oh … No! No … not the onion … It gives me the runs … No … Please, not the whip … "

Jonas was dreaming, unbeknownst to him that he was lying in a bed of resin that was surrounded by thousands upon thousands of tiny eggs wrapped in cocoons. Several hundred Reapers were busy at work, weaving the resin from a sticky substance secreted from their mouths.

It had once been the Nashville mall, a place once inhabited by the great spenders and greedy drug dealers. Now it was a new home for the insects festering with T-virus genetics.

Jonas moaned quietly and his eyes slowly opened. Once he focused on his world around him, his eyes widened.

"Oh shit!" he gasped, his left hand shooting over his mouth.

As soon as he did, a Reaper paused in what it was doing with a sharp hiss to follow. It leaned forward, mandibles waving, and tickling Jonas' cheek. He struggled to hold his terrified whimpers in check, watching as the creature studied him for several long, tense moments before it grunted quietly and resumed it work of strengthening the resin.

Jonas's chest heaved in short, quick breaths. He felt a sharp pain and glanced down at his ankle where the pain resonated at its strongest. There was a jagged, sticky cut that traveled a long, wicked path up across the side of his leg, toward his knee and it was covered in a strange doughy substance. He touched it and it felt squishy and damp.

"Oh shit …" he whispered, horrified. He looked up and noticed that Krauser and Beth were hanging from the walls as well, unconscious.

But there were no signs of Wesker and worst of all, Rose. Jonas had a feeling that this was going to take a lot of work to get out alive.

O

_Note_—The song featured here is Rammstein's "Wilder Wein". Very beautiful song, I think. Jonas was not killed due to the fact that he still had the smell of the dead Reaper covering him. Although not very sure how that would work, Reapers to me are like most insects that they had once been. A familiar smell like what Jonas was drenched in and they are easily fooled.


	30. Chapter 30: Claw Finger

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty: Claw Finger**

_Nashville, Tennessee _

Jonas struggled to cut through the resin with his pocket knife in an attempt to free Beth, who mumbled something as she slowly regained her consciousness and sight of the world around her. He continued to glance over his shoulder warily, hoping to make sure that the Reapers wouldn't seem interested with his work of freeing the two before they could escape.

"Come on … " he begged, to himself, "Come on … "

Krauser fell from his spot with a small grunt, landing hard on his ass and Beth soon followed in the same fashion. Just as they struggled to gather their own wits, Jonas crouched at their sides immediately, scooping a handful of Reaper mush out of his coat pocket left over from the RV assault and he proceeded to smear it onto them.

"What the f - - " Krauser sputtered, struggling to keep his hands at bay long enough to glare at him, "What are you doing?" He sniffed his arm. "What's this shit all over me, anyway?"

"Shhh!" Jonas whispered, glancing quickly over his shoulder before he returned his attention to them. "They'll hear you! Just rub this stuff on you. They won't attack if you smell like them."

At that, Krauser and Beth began to fervently rub the stinking stuff onto their arms and into their hair, not taking any chances in this place with the Reapers swarming everywhere. After all, it would wash out as soon as they were safe and out of harms way.

"God, this shit stinks!" Beth whispered, softly and disgustedly.

Jonas nodded and carefully crept around a corner, poking his head out to check for any signs of Reaper activity. The other two followed silently behind him, eyes looking all around.

"Yeah, but don't worry," Jonas whispered back, "I'll work. I saw it first hand."

Beth glared at him and spoke softly as well. "You'd better be right about this, Jonas," she groused, "Otherwise I am going to kick your ass if they don't kick ours first."

Jonas flashed her a cheeky grin. "That a promise?" he joked.

The trio slowly worked their way out of the resin - like caverns and out into the streets, not even second-glanced from the Reapers; they were too busy tending to the walls and the mounds of egg casings. Krauser looked around for Wesker or Rose upon entering sunlight, half expecting them to be there. They were both quick and efficient and often stood ahead of the game.

"Where's the boss?" Krauser asked, looking down at Jonas.

"I thought you guys had an idea." Jonas answered.

Krauser and Beth stared at each other before they looked down at him in confusion. How in the hell were they expected to know that when they had been strung up the entire time? They didn't even recall how they'd gotten there to begin with.

"Jonas, I don't remember how we even got there!" Beth snapped.

Krauser rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "Come to think of it, neither do I." he said, "After the RV tipped over and the Reapers began to swarm ... I just remember blacking out after that."

"Where the hell could he have gone?" Beth demanded, looking around.

O

Wesker snarled, struggling against the resin bonds that suspended him high above the ground. He was pretty sure that luck was not on his side today. Before him was a large, gaping set of teeth attached to what looked like a plump insect - like body. It must have been a queen Reaper perhaps, even though he had never seen one in captivity before.

They must have found a way to adapt to a more colony - like way of life, similar to the common ant or bee. He was familiar with the 'accidents' involving the Reapers back in Africa. While fascinating as it was, Wesker didn't have time for this right now. He grunted and tugged with every ounce of strength that he had and the resin strands ripped with ease.

"Curse you, wretched insects!" he hissed, to himself, "You are worse than any human being!"

Wesker performed a graceful flip through the air and landed onto all fours, sprinting down the length of the creature, just as its jaws snapped shut, missing him by inches. With a great leap, he jumped through a stained window and landed out into the streets. Once he looked around, he realized that he was standing in what looked like an elementary school playground.

"Damn … " he murmured, displeased. "This is going to set me back." He uttered another curse and jumped over the fences, rushing down the streets to find Rose and the others.

O

Vanek held out one hand to Rose as she backed up a few paces. There was something else in his other hand that looked suspiciously like a syringe filled with a blackish fluid.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

Vanek raised the needle and rolled up his left jacket sleeve. After quickly locating a vein, he smirked at her. "I told him that I would bring you to him," he answered, " … And I said, by any means necessary." And with that final word, he plunged the needle into his skin.

Rose winced slightly and watched as a black tar - like substance began to ooze out from the spot where he stuck the needle. It wrapped around his arm and chest, splitting his fingertips that ended into long, jagged claws. His right eye collapsed into his skull and the veins slid out, the end forming a bright red, pupil less eye. The right half of his mouth parted, revealing long, sharp teeth.

"Goddammit … " Rose groaned, backing up a few paces. " … Are you kidding me?"

Vanek snarled at her, an inhuman snarling sound much like a rattling of a snake. Then, he grinned and his voice was coarse, the voice box in his throat nearly changed and his accent deepening.

"Come now, Rose," he drawled, "I don't want to kill you right now; that would not please him at all. But I did promise that I would bring you back in whatever condition that I can."

Rose smirked now, raising both hands in a perfect Judo stance. "Well, then I guess that you are not going to take me alive, asshole!" And she charged with a fierce shout.

Vanek raised his massive arm and held it over his face to act as a shield as soon as she delivered the kick. The force sent him pushed back a few steps, but the kick merely wriggled the black flesh of his new arm as if it were made of Jell - O.

Rose's eyes snapped wide in amazement as his hand swung back, swatting her aside like a fly. She stumbled over her own feet and landed flat on her stomach. Vanek towered over her and grabbed her by the throat with his massive hand.

Vanek studied her with those mismatched eyes and his lips curled upwards in a sneer. "Why do you not fight back, Rose?" he rasped, "Why do you let me beat you? Are you afraid of me?"

Rose grimaced and struggled beneath the weight of the grip. Vanek lifted her off of the ground, studying her intently with a slight tilt of his head. She was refusing to fight him? She could easily break from his grip, so why wasn't she?

"I see … " Vanek crooned, "The fight with Karl ... You fear that you have no self - control over your abilities… " He leaned his head forward. "Am I right?"

Rose couldn't answer, her teeth clenched in pain and struggle. Her face slowly changed color from pink to purple. Vanek's claws dug deep into the junction of her throat and a shrill scream echoed out of her lips, abruptly silenced by fluid - like wails. The claws dug deep into flesh and bone, drawing loud, frantic sounds of pain from the woman.

Vanek chuckled. "Having fun, yet?" he sneered, "If you'd like, I can kick it up a notch!"

O

Krauser, Jonas and Beth raced around a corner, only to collide with Wesker. He maintained an iron-clad calm while he searched their faces. They were breathless and staggering in their steps. Obviously, they had been running for a while.

"Where is Rose?" he demanded.

Jonas stared up at him, anxiousness in his eyes. "We thought she was with you! We haven't seen her anywhere else!"

Krauser nodded in agreement to back up Jonas' words. "I didn't see her anywhere at our location either. Beth and I were alone in one of the Reaper nests. She could be anywhere by now."

Wesker looked thoughtful for a brief moment before he glanced around the empty streets, his nostrils barely fluttering. There were no traces of Rose's scent anywhere. His eyes wandered up to the resin-covered walls and he began to come to a conclusion: The resin was the cause of it. Something in the sticky ooze blocked out all smells and any traces of the living. That would explain why he couldn't scent the others.

"Maybe she's at the RV waiting for us," he said, "Let's go. Quickly."

As they hurriedly progressed down the empty streets, Wesker continuously scented the air and-everyone with a gun at the ready with Wesker a few yards in front - - he stopped so suddenly and sniffed the air deeply.

"Clear."

Suddenly, just as Jonas stepped up to turn around at the corner, something shrieked from above and dove at him; a Reaper with claws extended. His eyes grew wide and he nearly fell back onto his ass.

"Fuck me!" he cried, leveling his gun high and blasting the creature's brains clean from its skull. He glared at Wesker, who was smiling and studying the dead creature at his feet.

"I thought you said it was clear!" he barked.

He just shrugged. "My mistake."

Jonas glared after him indignantly as he hurried ahead and the quickly others followed behind. After a brief moment of cursing to himself, he followed behind them. Wesker started climbing a ladder behind a building and the others followed. Once on top, they would receive a spectacular view of the city and be able to spot Rose from that point.

"Do you see anything odd out there?" Jonas asked, left hand above his eyes like an Indian.

Krauser suddenly gestured out to the west. "There she is!" he said, "She's … " His eyes grew wide in disbelief as he watched the object of his interest in the distance. "What the hell?"

"What is it?" Wesker asked. He turned in the direction that Krauser was looking and noticed Vanek and Rose halfway across the city. He had never seen this man before. He was giving Rose a run for her money, that was sure. Wesker wouldn't have that and he was going to put an end to this once and for all. But not before he found out what it was that this man was after.

"Alright. You go first, Krauser." Wesker ordered, gesturing with one hand.

Krauser jumped off of the edge of the building, slid down the length of resin towers and landed with ease onto two feet below. Jonas watched the executed move with amazement. He leaned over the edge just slightly to get a better look.

"Wow. That's just so damn amazing," he gasped, not noticing Wesker rolling his eyes, "I wish I could jump as well as he can."

Wesker raised a single foot. "Wish granted." And with that, he kicked Jonas hard in the backside.

Jonas lost his balance and fell over the edge, sliding out of control down the length of resin and falling to the bottom, flat onto his face. Krauser grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket and planted him onto two feet. He was grinning broadly.

"I think Wesker's starting to like you." he joked.

Jonas glared at him silently, huffing once before Beth appeared behind him, brushing her jacket off of the residue. Wesker immediately landed behind her as silent as air.

"Move." he ordered.

O

Vanek threw back his head and shrieked, sending flecks of spittle flying. His left leg began to ripple and bulge, the veins twisting and worming uncontrollably. Thick, black spines erupted from his pant leg, dripping with his blood. His boot shattered as three long claws popped out, flexing and wriggling.

Rose struggled to stand, blood trickling down the length of her neck and face. It slowly began its healing process, just as a clawed foot came down onto her spine.

"AH!" Rose screamed.

Vanek reached down with his great hand and seized her by the head. "Foolish girl … " he growled, voice deepened even further from the mutation, " … You must really want to die so very badly."

Rose swung her legs back like a spinning fan, wrapping them tightly around his neck in a backwards choke hold. She struggled to apply a proper twist to snap the bones there, but her angle and subdued head position made it nearly impossible. Vanek countered the move entirely and slammed her hard into the concrete with his own weight.

"Hahaha!" Vanek snarled, "You are even weaker than I thought."

Suddenly, a gunshot sounded through the air and Vanek looked up, only to take a hit to the face by a handgun shot from Wesker. He lowered his weapon and spoke lowly, severely.

"Get off of her." he ordered.

Vanek stood there, pools of blood dripping from his shattered left eye. For a moment, he simply smirked at Wesker, not intimidated in the least at the sight of the legendary traitor. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of staring each other down, Vanek slowly rose from the pinned woman beneath him and backed away several steps.

Rose cleared her throat and spat up several small puddles of blood. Jonas and Beth hurried to her side and took both of her arms, helping her to stand while Wesker and Krauser took care of Vanek.

"Your little girl is weak," Vanek sneered, licking his lips briefly before he straightened, "She fears her own strength as well as everything else. What a burden she must be on you."

Wesker furrowed his brows. "It isn't without its share of … complications," he replied, "But nothing that I cannot handle."

Rose looked indignant after those words left his lips. She bared her blood-stained teeth.

"Heheh, many complications…" Vanek crooned shaking his head, "Spencer knew that it would come to this. He knows quite a bit about you both."

Wesker lowered his weapon and he blinked behind his glasses. So ... after all this time of doubt, he knew that Spencer was alive. After a brief second of surprise, he smiled instead.

"So he IS alive after all, is he?" he said, softly, "Tell me, how had the almighty Ozwell manage such a feat?"

Vanek chuckled. "All in good time, Albert, all in good time," he vowed, "In the meantime, you should come with me quietly or … I can take you in to him on a more… intimate stand."

Wesker spun his weapon in his hand and then placed it back into his boot. He cracked his left hand into a tight fist.

"Come and get me," he hissed.

Vanek seemed to have hoped for that answer more than anything else because he laughed triumphantly, raising the giant, rippling arm of his into the air.

"Now then, let me show you why they called me 'Claw Finger'!"

O

Krauser unleashed a barrage of shellfire from his TMP right at Vanek. The mutation of a former man had his face shielded from the rain of lead with his giant arm, grunting as each shell ripped into his body.

"Shit, this son of a bitch is one tough fucker!" Krauser hissed.

Vanek drew his clawed arm back and surged forward, footsteps sending waves of thunder through the air and rocking the ground beneath their feet. His arm shot out and grabbed Krauser by the throat.

"You're damn right!" Vanek hissed, with glee.

Wesker suddenly stepped in between the gigantic limb and Krauser, raising one leg and slamming it down onto the arm with a fierce yell. The sound of bones snapping filled the air, mingling with the unholy screams of pain from Vanek's tattered throat.

"You can't win against us," Wesker told the creature, as he recoiled against him, "Go back and tell Spencer that he's next when I find him."

Vanek grinned at him, an eerie deformed grin of tooth and fang. "That's not part of the plan, Albert!" he hissed, "I am to take you back … by any means necessary!"

And with that, his entire body began to change. The uniform ripped completely away as his muscles bulged in an alarmingly fast rate. Jagged spines shot out from his throat and back and his skull began to split in half, two sides with moaning, reptilian mouths. His knees snapped back painfully and the toes burst into long, jagged claws. His spine seemed to rupture from his very back as a long, whip-line tail emerged. He stood among the group, a massive white-fleshed lizard Tyrant, towering over them with a clawed arm larger than the others.

Vanek tossed back his head and screamed. His own voice was mixed demonically with the animal shrieking sounds of his own transformation into the Tyrant-like G beast.

"Shit … !" Jonas cried, "What do we do? Should we run? Is he gonna catch us before we can take cover?"

Wesker glared sidelong at him. "Instead of blathering like the addlepated imbecile that you are, perhaps you should take Rose somewhere seeing since she can be no use to us at the moment."

Without arguing, Jonas ushered Rose to the side. As soon as Wesker turned to face his nemesis, Vanek was already charging at him. His entire body slammed into Wesker's and the man was pushed several inches while struggling to keep the creature at bay.

"Heh. You think it will be that easy?" he snarled.

Vanek's yellow eyes narrowed furiously and his two jaws pulled upward into a deformed grin. His tail wrapped around Wesker's waist and he began to crush the air from him. Wesker gritted his teeth and drew his left hand back; and with a heavy grunt, he shoved it deep into the left half of Vanek's split head, punching through bone and tendon.

A roar of pain escaped the creature's mouth and he staggered back, clawed hand clutching his wounded face in pain. Wesker moved quickly and delivered a kick to the other side of Vanek's untouched jaw, sending him staggering to the side and falling off of his feet.

While Wesker and Krauser took care of the creature, Beth and Jonas had tucked Rose safely out of harms way; inside a building that's door was untouched of resin. Beth petted Rose's forehead with one hand, coming up; with a handful of blood.

"Shit, Rose, you're still bleeding … " she whispered, "I - I thought you could … heal this."

Rose struggled to catch her breath. It felt like the more that she tried to breathe, the worse the pain grew. She tried to focus on the healing process. Wesker had often told her that sometimes the regeneration did not occur on its own when you were under subduing stress or unnatural mental shock. Right now was not a good time to deal with that.

Oh was she under unnatural mental shock alright.

"I - I can't … " she tried, through a breathless shudder, " … concentrate. I can't think! I can't fucking think!"

"Rose! Rose, just calm down … " Beth soothed, holding her close to her chest, "You have to relax. Just breathe, alright? Breathe."

The sounds of Vanek's defeated roars drew both their gazes out to the streets. Vanek's monstrous body lay in a pool of blood and Wesker stood above him, feet planted into his chest. He grabbed the creature's jaws and forced him to look up into his gaze.

"Tell me," he commanded, "How does he see us wherever we go?"

Vanek grinned up at him and let loose a wicked, dry laugh. His voice was all but changed by now and it sounded demonic, as if the very devil himself was speaking through him.

"The sky … " he gurgled, blood gushing from his mouth, " … Look to the sky … "

Wesker slammed his arm into Vanek's throat, drawing a sharp watery gasp from his jaws. "What are you talking about?"

Vanek's gaze turned to Rose for a brief second before he suddenly laughed horrifically. The sound seemed to fade away as it carried higher and higher into the sky where the peculiar satellite was passing overhead. The images passed through it and sent back to the strange man in Raccoon City.

"The message is clear: I am here. I am watching…" he whispered.

_Meanwhile_

Chris and Jill had backed up from the ATC, firing round after round at the stalking Omega Tyrant that had awakened from its battle-induced sleep. It was roaring and screaming defiantly at them, body deflecting round after round of their ammunition fire.

_Go, my child, they are not worth the time, _the strange man crooned, in the ear of the Tyrant through a tiny transmitter attached to the back of its head. _Come to me. You will be needed again…_

The transmitter was exposed through damaged, burnt flesh. As the Tyrant gave Chris and Jill a final look, it jumped at impossible heights and took off into the night.

"Shit! It's getting away!" Jill shouted, starting to hurry for the ATC.

Chris took her wrist and shook his head. "No. It might lead us to its boss," he assured her, "Whoever's pulling his strings, and we'll find him and find the guy responsible for all of this."

Jill looked doubtful and even more, a little exasperated, but nonetheless, she nodded in agreement. The two hurried into the ATC and quickly buckled themselves in.

"I hope you're right … " Jill said.

Chris gave her a sideways look. "Yeah, me too."

O

_Note_-Eerie, eh? I'll explain as it progresses.


	31. Chapter 31: Mistake

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-One: Mistake**

_Dickson, Tennessee_

It took some time getting out of Nashville because finding another suitable vehicle had become the challenge in itself. Fortunately, after scouring the entire city practically, Rose had discovered a new RV; a 2003 Prevost H3 - 45 Vantare. After what had happened to her RV, they had to salvage all data and equipment that they could from the wrecked RV that they had come into Nashville with.

Rose, however, had other - more important - ideas on her mind right now than driving in style. Once they arrived in Dickson, she ordered Krauser that they take a stop at the local hospital; the very first one that they could get to.

"Why do we have to go there?" Jonas asked, "Are you sick or something?"

Rose sounded weak and her voice a little higher than usual. She gave him a broad grin that looked a little forced. "You could say that … "

Jonas gave Beth a concerned look and the woman shrugged her shoulders, worriedly smiling. She wasn't too sure either since Rose hadn't been speaking to them all morning. She had a feeling, though, that she was going to find out.

Krauser stopped the RV in front of the Horizon Medical Center. He put the gear stick into PARK and turned in his chair to face the others.

"Alright, you guys go ahead inside and I'll hold up right here," he told them, "If anything big comes after me, I'll honk twice."

Rose shook her head before Wesker and the others could follow her out the door. She pushed her hand into his chest, stopping him in his place.

"No! No. I want Krauser to come with me," she told them.

Krauser blinked. "Huh?"

All surprised looks turned to him. He met each and every one and shrugged his shoulders before rising from his chair with his TMP cradled underneath his arm.

"Why do you want him to go with you?" Wesker asked, looking down at her, trying to read her expression to see what she could have been hiding from him.

"I just do. So just shut up and stay here until I get back." Rose sounded angrier with him than usual.

Once Rose disappeared outside, Krauser gave Wesker a nervous smile. "Uh … we'll, you know … Be right back … " he told them.

Wesker's mouth parted slightly in disbelief. He wasn't too sure why Rose was acting strange today, but he knew that she would tell him once she returned. At least, she had better give him a good excuse for stopping like this, especially when they were still a few miles from Nashville where the Reaper horde still remained, no doubt.

"Yikes, she burned you, man." Jonas said. Wesker glowered at him and the smile melted off of his face. "I'll shut up now."

"You had better…" Wesker whispered, darkly.

Inside the hospital, Rose and Krauser had been walking side by side, passing scattered papers and bits of upturned chairs and debris. Krauser had his weapon at the ready in case anything would leap out at them. He suddenly gave her a questioning look, the thought of what they were even doing there to begin with getting on his last nerve.

"Alright, I bite, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"You'll soon find out," Rose promised, walking into a hallway labeled 'Ultrasound Laboratories'.

O

The lights in the laboratory flickered, dimmed and surged again. Krauser had his back to Rose as she began stripping down in the room, while simultaneously working a small keyboard. A menu popped into the display screen. She stared at it for a pithy moment and then hit the keyboard.

"Uh … do you need some help or … something?" Krauser asked, uncomfortably.

Rose began to recline on an adjoining table from the keyboard and she tried to reach for the computer at the same instance, but bumped her head into the small machine hovering over her with an irritated curse. It started to whine to life. It reminded Rose of a metallic duck; the small lens situated just beneath a box attached to a conveyer.

"Do me a favor and run this stupid keyboard," she ordered, in a moderate voice, "I can't reach over to see what I'm doing."

Krauser slowly moved over to the keyboard as Rose settled back down onto the table. He gave her a strange look before pulling up a chair and studying the computer screen curiously. He wasn't too sure how to run one of these things.

"What do I do?" he asked, "I've never run this kind of machine before."

Rose couldn't resist a smile at his naivety. After all, it was Beth who showed her how to run Ultrasound equipment. "Just scroll down until you see 'display internal functions'," she instructed, "It should tell you what to do next."

Krauser did as she instructed, scrolling down the computer information with the mouse pad. He glanced over at the side to study her nervous face. She took a deep breath and watched the ceiling.

"So … you mind telling me why we're doing this again?" he asked, "Those guys were probably just scaring you. I doubt that … you know, you're … gonna have yourself a little hell spawn any time now."

Rose shut her eyes briefly before she looked at him. "I just have to know."

Krauser didn't argue further and shrugged his shoulders with a quiet murmur. He watched the display monitor. A digital picture of Rose's head appeared onto the screen.

"Okay. We're hot," he told her, "What am I supposed to be lookin' for anyway? I don't know how to read any of this stuff."

Rapidly changing digital information and additional medical data were superimposed on the image as well as the inside of her head. Krauser began to type several keys in and the scanner began moving down Rose's body. Her neck and shoulders appeared, and then it revealed the interior of Rose's thorax.

"Okay, how do I get any enhancement?" he asked.

Rose chuckled and moved her finger in a circling gesture. "Scroll down the screen until you see 'improve image'."

Krauser did as she said. "Well, I don't see anything here that shouldn't be. I gotta get a better angle." He scanned her once more until he smiled. "Nothing. There's nothing there. Now see? I told ya' you were just being paranoid."

Rose exhaled deeply in relief. She started to get up from the table until Krauser's voice halted her.

"Wait a minute … "

Rose's heart sank into her stomach and an icy cold sensation suddenly filled her veins. She looked over at him and his eyes were wide. He blinked as if trying to rid himself of a possibility of seeing things, but he saw it as plain as day.

"Holy shit!" he gasped.

Rose shut her eyes austerely. "What is it?" she asked, voice small.

"I don't know how to tell you this, Rose … " Krauser said, "B - But I think I see something. I'm not sure, but it looks like a little heart."

On screen, there was a tiny little pulsing black orb, nestled comfortably in Rose's womb. Krauser's face was pale of color and he looked over at Rose, who was starting to get up. He quickly averted his gaze while she started quickly putting her clothes back on.

"What's it look like?" she asked.

"I can't tell just yet," Krauser replied, "It's too small." He exhaled. "I guess Karl wasn't fucking with you. A guy with ears as sharp as his must have picked it up even when it was smaller than this."

Rose looked at him while she fitted her boots into place. "Move the screen. I've got to take a look."

Krauser gave her a furrowed grimace. "Hey, I don't think you want to."

"Do it."

Krauser adjusted the view screen, turning it on a ball joint so she could have a perfect look at the thing growing inside of her. She felt a peculiar sense of warmth, the icy feeling in her body melting away into a satisfying heat. She couldn't explain it, but just looking at the beating heart made her feel alright again. It made things seem less out of the ordinary and she even felt a sense of peace.

Everything was going to be fine.

"Okay, shut it off." she ordered.

Krauser pressed a button on the scanner and it whirred down. He cocked his head curiously. He couldn't wait to see how this was going to play out. After all, Rose didn't know Wesker as well as he did. The boss wasn't going to take this lightly.

"So … what are you gonna tell the boss?" he asked, "I mean, knowing him, he might not be too happy about this. He's not the kind of guy who likes surprises. You know … the _permanent_ kind?"

"Well, just keep it a secret until I figure something out," she told him.

Krauser frowned. "I don't like takin' sides, Rose," he said, irritated, "Especially if one of them ain't the reasoning type."

Rose shook her head. Now was not the time to get upset. She had to stay calm and assess the situation in a positive, mature way. Seeing the little thing's tiny heart changed any alternative option she had. She wanted it. She would keep it and no one was going to say otherwise.

"Let's go," she said, softly.

O

Wesker watched the doors of the hospital as he waited for the two to come out. Beth and Jonas were whispering back and forth to one another and Wesker could make out fragments of their sentences. He chose not to eavesdrop because most of what they said was neither relevant nor interesting to him at all.

"I hope Rose is okay," Jonas said, "She was acting very weird on the way down here. She wouldn't talk to any of us all morning."

Wesker glared over his shoulder to him. "Perhaps she eventually grew tired of your ridiculous ranting." he snapped.

"Look!" Beth said, glancing out the window, interrupting the argument between the two before it could start, "She's coming back."

The RV side door opened and Krauser stepped inside first, glancing at the others with a smile before he shifted and turned. He scratched the back of his head and looked down at Rose, offering one hand.

"Uh…do you need help, or something?" he asked.

Rose scoffed and spoke through gritted teeth. Her red eyes nearly blazed. "No. Krauser. I. Do. Not."

"Shit … sorry." he said, carefully, backing up as she stepped up onto the RV.

Beth immediately hurried at her side, placing her hands onto her shoulders. "Rose, so what was all that about?" she asked, "Are you okay? Anything out of place?"

Rose suddenly smiled and nodded. She didn't look at Wesker the entire time. "Yeah, I am. I'm - I mean, _we're_ gonna be fine."

"Care to explain your logic in all of this, Rose?" Wesker demanded, arms folded across his chest, "That is, if there is any?"

Rose barely glanced at Krauser before she shook her head. She would wait until they were alone to tell him. That way, it wouldn't go off so bad with the other two and she could take the heat instead of them.

"I just had to check something." she answered.

Wesker squinted at her from behind his glasses, a suspicious growling sound escaping his lips. Rose had learned to keep her facial expressions completely neutral around him, which was still very obvious. Well, he was going to find out what she was hiding from him once and for all in time. But for now, he was more concerned with moving forward.

"Fine then," he snapped, "Since we've wasted enough time with this foolishness, I suggest that we go now."

Krauser started the RV up without any hesitation.

_Meanwhile_

Claire and Leon reported to Chris and Jill, meeting them down a darkened road with Ivan and his comrades trudging along in their tattered vehicles. Chris didn't know what to say to the strange group of individuals, so instead he gave his sister a big hug once she walked up to him.

"Chris, things have changed now," she told him, wincing as she pulled away from his arms, "Spencer's had these Wesker children kept secret from the entire world. They know something about what's going on, more than any of us here. I think we should hear them out. They could help us."

Chris frowned in disbelief. "Wesker children?"

"Yes!" Ivan suddenly appeared at his side, cracking his knuckles. His lips pulled back in a cruel sneer as he sized him up. "You got problem with that?"

Chris frowned up at him. "How do we know that we can trust you?"

Ivan leaned forward so that his nose barely touched Chris'. He stood a head or two taller than the smaller Redfield man, but that didn't seem to intimidate Chris. He had seen bigger and so much more gruesome than Ivan.

"If you couldn't trust me, believe me, I would kill you by now," Ivan threatened, "Including your mate and the Backstreet Boy man."

Leon rolled his eyes in disgust, murmuring in protest at the pitiful joke. He had heard that one too many times already.

Chris exhaled and gestured behind him with one hand. "Alright, we'll talk about this once we get into the ATC," he told them, "Come on."

Ivan grinned down at his son and chuckled, speaking Russian and gesturing to Chris with one finger as they followed.

"Что Вы говорите? Он находится на стероиде, без сомнения."

Mischa giggled and nodded. "Интересно, заставил ли препарат его крошечно-крошечное сжаться."

Ivan nodded in agreement and chuckled at his son's crude sense of humor. "Это объяснило бы, почему он безумен."

Mischa smirked. "Ahh, я знаю, папа. Американцы и их глупые наркотики."

Chris frowned back at them. "What are you laughing about?" he demanded, "Get in here quickly! We don't want anything seeing us."

Ivan gestured with one hand. "Okay, we come," he said. Then, he added in a soft, sly voice to his son. "Крошечный человек."

Mischa snickered and tried to cover it up with both hands while Chris glared at them suspiciously.

O

Rose still said nothing.

Wesker was getting annoyed with her enigmatic conduct. And what made matters worse was the fact that Krauser knew something. He had to have known something; otherwise he would not have continued to evade him at every turn. Wesker did not take pleasure in secrets being kept from him.

On the way out of the small town, a barricade had been set up on the overpass; a wall of vehicles and wreckage. The people of the township had obviously tried to keep some of the infected from coming through and from the looks of things, they had failed immensely. Rose went to work and Wesker took this as an opportunity to drill her for information.

"Rose, what are you hiding from me?" he asked, joining her side while she pushed a minivan out of the way.

"Huh? Not right now, Wesker," she told him, dodging his glance.

Wesker glared at her, kicking a smaller vehicle aside as if it were made of tin. "No, I think right now is a perfect time!" he spat, "That alone tells me that you _are _hiding something from me!"

"Wesker, I hardly think that this is constructive!" Rose shouted, pushing the minivan over the viaduct.

Before Wesker could dissent, the familiar sound of a Hunter's hissing cry filled the air; it had been at the rear the minivan, head burrowing into the belly of a police officer. It stopped and looked up at its audience. Everyone in the RV watched as the two creatures sensed each other. The Hunter hissed and reared back.

Rose did not move and neither did Wesker, contemplative of wasting energy on an introverted Hunter that seemed to express little interest in them. Everyone watched, too afraid to breathe. Then, the Hunter lunged at her, leaping at her into two bounds. It was on her and she spun wildly, grabbing it, and hurling it away.

It landed in a tangle but was up once more in a second, jumped at Wesker, knocking him back into a cruiser, its claws digging into his skin, teeth at his face, inches away.

Wesker locked an arm around its glossy, long head and pulled back, its tendons straining and snapping.

Beth looked at Jonas. "Shoot it! Shoot it!"

He grabbed his gun and raised his head out from the RV driver window. He pulled the trigger and rained showers of lead down upon the Hunter. Two less - than - human screams filled the air as they temporarily disentangled, thrown apart. The beast recovered first, dodging the next blast and going for Rose again.

She groaned, lying on her back. She reached behind her and grabbed a discarded muffler and with inhuman strength brought the metal down on the monster's head. Flashing Jonas an irritated glare, Wesker dove at the creature again as it attacked.

Jonas shot a shower of lead at them again, just as Rose contacted the massive Hunter. They were both fried as Rose's momentum sent them over a railing and they plummeted twenty feet; the Hunter landing with a wicked crunch, Rose's landing was a little better than the creature's, but she still fell pretty badly.

Rose and the Hunter both wrestled for a few moments more. The creature rolled back onto Rose, grabbing her with its dying strength. She was singed from the high temperature of the shell fire, her face unyielding with pain and anger.

Suddenly, its jaws opened, saturated trembling, the tongue shooting out and Rose grabbed it, holding it taut. A scream welled up in her throat. A totally animal sound that was triumphant and wild as she ripped the creature's tongue out.

Rose and Wesker walked up to the RV and Wesker knocked slowly on the door. Jonas winced and opened it. They both looked a little pissed. The man tensed, maybe wishing his aim had been just a little bit better.

"You hit me." Rose and Wesker said, simultaneously.

" … Sorry … " Jonas stammered.

O

Fish wasn't exactly something everyone wanted to eat, but unfortunately, it was all that they had on them right now until they reached the next town. Uncomfortably, they were sitting at the small kitchen table in the RV, slowly starting to eat their meals.

Beth smiled at them. "There now," she said, "There's nothing like looking at a poor fish with no insides to make your own problems seem small."

Wesker stared at Rose suspiciously from the top of his eyes as he took a small sip of his drink. Meanwhile, Jonas was just climbing out of the shower, cleaned and neatly dressed for the night. He was wiping his face with a wash rag before he took a spot on the couch, taking his plate of fish that Beth had left out for him.

"I'm out of the tub. Who's in next?" he announced. "Wesker? You gonna clean up?"

Wesker shook his head. "I think I'll skip it for today."

Jonas grinned and took a bite of his fish. "OH! How can you stand to be so dirty?" he joked, playfully.

Wesker rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Just once I'd like to knock him through the roof … " he muttered, "If I knew that it would not kill him right away."

Beth exhaled and spoke in a warning tone. "Wesker, behave please. I don't want the house with wheels getting ... you know ... smashed up again," she snapped, "None of us want to have to go through another incident like the one with the Reapers."

Rose gave Wesker a strange look, obviously intimidated by his attitude. "What's your problem?" she asked, voice edged.

"You are." he snapped.

She laughed lowly and put her fork down. "Am I?" she challenged, "Well go ahead and tell me what you think my 'problem' is."

"How about we not do this tonight?" Beth suggested and her voice sounded tired.

Wesker stood up and walked out of the RV with Rose angrily following him. He slammed the door and she snarled, opening it and joining him outside. The sounds of her yelling died down into barely audible shouts. Krauser, Jonas and Beth looked at one another in surprise.

Jonas tried to ease the tension with a light compliment of the food. "So … this is pretty nice fish you made for us, Beth."

She blinked at the comment and smiled weakly, nodding her head in acquiesce. "Oh! Thanks ... "

Outside, Wesker was completely out of perceptible range and he spun around, looking down at her, his face barely inches from hers.

"Alright, now you tell me here and now, Rose," he threatened, "We will progress no further until you tell me what it is that you are hiding."

She stared up at him in protest. "You can't be serious!"

"I am."

And he sure did sound quite serious to her. His eyes were flickering between his calm orange-yellow to a deep red. He must have been severe about wanting to know; otherwise he never would desire to stop his plans for anything.

Rose felt sick now. She wasn't sure how to tell him. She hadn't even practiced at it yet! How could you tell this sort of thing to a man like him, anyway? Krauser really didn't tell her much about how Wesker could react in a situation like this.

Oh well. He was going to find out soon anyway.

With a resigned and trembling sigh, she took his hand and placed it onto her slender abdomen. It would get bigger, of course. Rose _really _didn't look forward to that part of bearing a child.

He looked confused and exasperated. "What are you doing?"

"Just feel … " Rose said, quietly.

Wesker frowned at her as she moved his hands all around her belly. He tilted his head to one side and that was when she stopped his hand, hoping to find the same reaction again. He was silent, studying her face for a moment. Rose was beginning to wonder if she'd have to resort to telling him, but then, his features began to change.

His mouth parted somewhat and his eyes slowly began to grow wide. His brows went up and his reddish gaze seemed to flare. He jerked his hand from her and stared her up and down.

"See?" she told him, "Do you see what I was hiding?"

Wesker didn't move. He seemed to have been locked in place there, eyes frozen and lips sealed tight. Rose shook him gently, confused. Had he literally gone into shock? That wasn't like him at all. She expected anger, hatred and even a sense of loathing to her. But he had surprised her entirely by turning it around.

"Wesker?" she said, "Hey, Wesker?" She swallowed. "Are you alright?"

No reply. He just stood there like a still statue. Rose rushed back to the RV and threw the door open, peering inside to the others. They stared at her worried, anxious face.

"Rose?" Krauser said, "Everything alright?"

Rose smiled weakly. "Is it possible for Wesker to go into shock?"

Krauser's eyes snapped wide and his glass fell from his hands, falling to the floor and staining the carpet with red crimson. He knew from that comment alone that she had said something to him.

"Ohhhhhh, shit," he muttered, rising and surging outside to Wesker, "Hang on."

As he rushed passed her, Beth and Jonas stared at her in surprise. She slowly walked over and sat down beside Jonas. They three were quiet for a while before Beth stared at her friend angrily.

"Alright, what the hell is going on?" she demanded, "Rose, you and Wesker haven't been acting right since that day after the Hunter nearly tore your head off! What is going on, Rose?" She stared at her now, pain on her features. "We're your friends, you can tell us, I'm pretty sure it's not that damn bad!"

Rose grinned slightly and glanced out of the window, noticing Wesker and Krauser outside talking. Krauser had obviously snapped him out of his shock. She couldn't hear entirely what they were saying because she was afraid to.

"You should have told me … " Wesker snarled.

Krauser nodded weakly. "I know, boss, but you know Rose," he protested, quietly, "She can be very difficult. I tried to tell her that she shouldn't keep secrets, but on the way out, she told me that she was uncertain of your reaction."

"That gave you no right to oblige her!" Wesker hissed.

Inside the RV, Rose looked at her two best friends and spoke quietly, her voice muffled to a small degree.

"I'm … prgsnf … " she mumbled.

Jonas cocked his head. "You're what?" he asked, "I didn't catch that."

Rose stared at them weakly. "I'm … "

A few mere minutes passed and then the doors of the RV suddenly flew open. Wesker and Krauser looked over to see Beth storming over to them, a pump shotgun in hand and leveled directly for Wesker's chest.

"You got my best friend pregnant you son of a bitch!" she shouted, furiously.

Wesker didn't budge and merely studied the weapon leveled at him with disdain. He glared over at Rose and Jonas who had started to come over as well. He simply stared down at her with a fury equivalent only to combating with Chris.

"This does not concern you!" he hissed, "Now step aside while I discuss this with Rose."

Beth gave Rose a concerned look before she quietly stepped to the side. Wesker glared at her and his voice was icy.

"When we arrive at the next town, we will be rid of that thing," he told her.

Rose's eyes grew wide in horror. "That _thing_?" she exclaimed.

"It was a mistake, Rose," Wesker continued, his eyes flaring bright red, "Now that you are carrying a child, Spencer will no doubt want to take it for himself. I will not allow that."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Well, maybe I want to keep it."

Jonas stared at her in surprise. "Rose! You sure picked a fine time to wanna play mommy!"

Krauser nodded in agreement, but he looked very reluctant to speak. "He's got a point there, Rose," he agreed, "I mean, it ain't a good idea to raise a kid in a world like this. Don't you think you should … you know … wait a bit?"

"What the hell is she supposed to do?" Beth shouted, furious at Krauser's suggestion, "Tell the kid to take a number while mommy goes around and kills zombies and monsters?"

Rose glared at them all, wishing that they'd just shut up. "I'm keeping it," she said, "I don't think it's right to take a child's life when they have no say otherwise. It's my child."

Wesker snarled. "You're making a big mistake."

Rose shook her head. "It'll be fine, I promise." she protested, "Just because you don't want it doesn't mean I'm going to let you take it from me. If the child dies, then I die."

Wesker hissed at her. "You are a bigger fool than I took you for, Rose," he snapped, "Do not expect me to care for you, then."

She stared at him, hard. It was the hardest that Beth had ever seen her become. "Since you've already gone and decided, then I guess it's settled," she continued, "I'm going to do this alone." She turned and walked back to the RV.

The others stood quiet and Jonas grunted uneasily. "Wow … You can practically feel the awkward … " he stammered.

Rose lied down in the bed and carefully stroked her abdomen. She chuckled quietly, her attuned senses feeling the tiny heart beating. This child growing inside of her gave her a feeling of courage, audacity and capability. She was not afraid to face the world with a child now; she was not worried about the consequences because she would see to it that nothing would go wrong.

"Hey, don't worry," she whispered, in the dark, "I'll take good care of you, little fella. No one's going to take you from me, I promise."

O

Note-This chapter was fun to write! LOL.

_Что Вы говорите? Он находится на стероиде, без сомнения. -_ "What do you say? He is on the steroid, no doubt."

_Интересно, заставил ли препарат его крошечно-крошечное сжаться._ - "I wonder if the drug made his wee-wee shrink."

_Это объяснило бы, почему он безумен_.- "It would explain why he is mad."

_Ahh, __я знаю, папа. Американцы__ и их глупые наркотики._ - "Ahh, I know, papa. Americans and their silly drugs."

_Крошечный человек._ - "Tiny man."


	32. Chapter 32: Rare Moment

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Rare Moment**

_Jackson, Tennessee_

Rose scanned the rows of food lined up on shelves inside the small mini mart. She chuckled quietly and plucked a package of Snicker Doodles from the shelf. Just as she started to open the box, a hand smacked them out of hers and she rolled her eyes, glaring over at Beth.

"Come on, Beth!" she protested.

The woman shook her head. "No way, Rose!" she scolded, "That baby is not going to grow up big and fat, like Jonas!"

Rose grumbled and rolled her eyes. "Fine, then!" she snapped, "I'll eat the sugar - free ones instead!" She snatched the box from the shelf and stormed out of the shop in a huff, tearing the box lid off and shoving cookies into her mouth.

Beth watched her go before she glanced over at a magazine rack, observing a few of the titles and photographs shown on the cover; she smiled at them and then, she instantly had the perfect idea.

Krauser was watching the skies outside, hand cupped above his eyes. The clouds were growling like an animal in the distance and thick, grey puffs began to slowly draw their way toward them. There was nothing like a good rain storm to cool off to. He never minded the rain too much as long as it didn't interfere with the trip.

"Looks like a storm's coming," he told Beth, as she walked out of the shop with the magazines, "We should get moving. Are we all done here with packing up food?"

Beth nodded. "Yeah," she replied, "Well … " She inhaled profoundly, "Let's get ready for another fun evening with the happy parents."

Krauser chuckled at her joked and followed her into the RV. They started up and drove on, continuing through the city. Inside, Beth handed Wesker one of the magazines. He gingerly took it and read the title out loud with a disgusted voice.

"'The ABC's Of Being a Positive Male Role Model'?" he read. He glared down at her. "Are you trying to tell me that you have a death wish?"

Beth smirked at the threat and shook her head before she spoke seriously. "Look, I think if you and Rose talked about this, it could work out for the both of you," she suggested, "I mean, sure it was unexpected, but then again, this could work."

Wesker studied her from the side, squinting with irritation. "How?"

"Well, Rose won't expect the baby for another 8 and a half months," she suggested, "There is plenty of time to discuss a plan between the both of you if you two would just hear each other out."

Jonas chuckled. "Well hell, Beth," he joked, "The baby's only got 8 and half months in there." When Rose and Wesker glared at him, he stopped laughing and exhaled. "Shutting up now … "

Rose shook her head and she sounded exasperated this time. "Beth, plenty of guys have broken up with me. You just beat the hell out of them and move on," she told her, "You were the one who told me that, don't you remember?"

Beth frowned, annoyed. She didn't see a point in discussing personal matters of the heart right now, not when there was a child involved. "I'm thinking of the baby, Rose," she pointed out, "It's not right for a child to grow up without a father. He has to have both of his parents, just like every kid should! So just suck this up and act like adults."

Rose jumped to her feet, voice filled with fury. "You know, I'm getting just a little sick of you bossing me around and trying to act like my goddamn mother!" she shouted, "You're not, alright! My mother is being held hostage by the very guy who fucked around with my goddamn genetics, so get the hell off my back!"

Beth frowned in protest. "Rose, I'm just trying to help, you know that."

"No, you're not!" Rose shouted, not even thinking. A voice in her head warned her not to go where she was going to, but she didn't think. "You're just overcompensating for not having a father in _your _life!"

Jonas' eyes went wide in shock. "Oh." he gasped, stunned that Rose went there.

Beth glared at her for a few moments before she shut her eyes for a while. And then, she opened them and stared at Rose, hard. There was pain and sorrow in her voice and in her eyes, but she spoke steadily and quietly. "Okay … " she murmured, calmly, "That's it, huh? I look out for you like you were a sister and you go and bring that up?" She held out two hands and backed away. "I get it. You go ahead and do what you want. Sorry for giving a shit."

She disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. After a brief moment of glancing at the others, Rose walked up to the bathroom door and lightly knocked on it with one hand.

"Beth?" she said, softly, "Beth, can you open the door, please? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Can we just talk?" No answer. "Beth?" She snarled and kicked the door with one foot. "Fine! Who needs you?" She stormed over to one of the beds hidden by a curtain and pushed it aside, hiding herself from view.

"Guys? Come on," Jonas protested, rising from his spot, "We can't fight right now! We need to stick together in this!" Silence answered him. "Guys!"

Wesker turned and shook his head. "Let them be, Jonas," he ordered, "Women can be very complicated creatures."

Jonas looked thoughtful for a moment before he quickly shuffled passed Wesker and took a spot beside Krauser. He cupped his ear and whispered something that made the larger man raise his brows.

"I dunno if we have time for that," he replied, "We're doing pretty well on gas right now."

Jonas made a head indicating gesture behind him. "Come on," he whispered, "They need a break. It'll be good for all of us, I think." He even glanced over his shoulder and cast a look over at Wesker, who was grimacing as he paged through the magazine that Beth had given him. "Even put a smile on his grumpy face too. Hell, he needs it as bad as they do."

The two chuckled until Wesker struck them both on the backs of their heads with the magazine. He glared down at them once more before he opened the magazine again and scoffed underneath his breath at what he was reading.

"Alright, we'll have to see," Krauser whispered back, "As long as it's not heavily infested and we can take 'em out easy."

Jonas smirked and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed, "Hey! Maybe we can find some of those Memphis hookers for the big guy I hear so much about!" He giggled.

Wesker glanced down at him and sighed quietly, rolling up his left sleeve before he swung the magazine and smacked Jonas across the back of his head with it.

_Memphis, Tennessee_

Rose awoke at the sounds of the RV rattling and small cans of food falling onto her. She blinked sleepily and pushed the curtain aside, walking over to a window where it was brightest outside. Jonas was standing beside her with a grin on his face, as if he were ready to burst with excitement at any moment.

"Did you have something to do with this?" Rose asked, skeptically.

"Maybe." Jonas teased.

"What are you up to, Jonas?" she asked, brows raised.

Beth stepped out from her bed and took a spot opposite of Rose. She studied the glowing buildings with surprise. Save for the lack of human beings, this was actually a very lively - looking city. The cars were overturned and parked at odd angles, but Krauser was easily able to maneuver passed them.

"Why do you think I'm always up to something?" Jonas said, laughing slightly.

"What are we doing here, Krauser?" Wesker asked, looking down at his subordinate with an intense frown, "I did not make any order for you to stop here in this city."

When Beth and Rose walked to the back to get cleaned up, Jonas smiled weakly up at Wesker. He even backed up and grimaced a little as he awaited the blow-up.

"I … Uh, kinda … sort of … asked him to," he said, softly.

"What?" Wesker snarled, eyes flashing.

Jonas held out two hands, cringing to be hit. "Come on, I had to help somehow!" he protested, "I mean, let's face it … Do you wanna hear _that _the whole way to Raccoon City?" He gestured to the back of the RV, where Rose and Beth had started getting into another verbal argument.

Wesker blinked at the sound of something crashing and a low shout from Rose following. He exhaled and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

O

"I've never been to Memphis before!" Jonas said, eying the rows of streetlights and signs. It was a completely different city compared to Atlantic City.

"Yeah, I hear this time of year it's a real _scream_." Krauser mumbled, eyes wandering around the empty streets.

Rose grimaced at his joke. "Funny."

"That wasn't a joke," Krauser said, looking back at her, annoyed.

"So for what conceivable purpose are we here?" Wesker asked, glaring down at Jonas, "I will give you one chance to change my mind about beating you into a red smear for wasting more of my time."

Jonas grinned and a hiccup of terror escaped his mouth. "Let's go and you'll see," he told him.

He started hurrying toward the Hickory Ridge Mall. The others glanced at each other in an unbelieving manner. Beth gave Rose a foul look and turned away, walking up ahead of the group so that she followed Jonas into the mall.

"She's such a little witch … " Rose hissed, quietly.

"Bear with her, for now," Krauser mumbled, "It's bad enough that you and the boss ain't on good enough terms right now. I mean, we have to make it to Raccoon City without any of you killing each other in the process, right?" He exhaled. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

Rose nodded, arms folded across her chest. She still sounded displeased and her eyes locked onto Jonas as he pried the front doors open for Wesker to walk inside. He gave the smaller man a glare and Jonas grinned nervously, darting off so he could follow Beth.

"I never thought my best friend would turn on me like this … " Rose growled, lowly, "I thought she'd stick by me no matter what."

Krauser raised a single brow. "Didn't it ever occur to you that she always was by your side?" When Rose stared at him, he sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, never mind, then. Women problems aren't really my expertise."

Rose rolled her eyes, watching as he followed the others into the mall. She stood there for a brief moment, watching the empty, silent city as if she were hoping that it could be alive again; it could be filled with people, laughing people, living people.

_Loving people_.

But where did she belong in that category? She wasn't a part of the human society anymore now that she was… inhuman. Even if they could successfully return the world to what it once was, it would take years and years. She would never age and her best friends would…

Maybe it was for the best if she cut off ties with her remaining friends. After all, what good would it be to suffer loss for them both? Yeah … Maybe this was for the best. After all, it would be easier for everyone if all attachments were severed.

Right?

If it really was the best way for everyone, then why did she feel so bad?

Rose sighed and hung her head, walking into the mall and shutting the doors behind her. She hesitated before bending the large knobs together in a thick, metal knot to prevent any invaders. After all, the glass was shatterproof, so there was no chance of getting through that way.

Thank God for that.

O

Auntie Anne's Pretzel shop was the first target of Jonas' hunger. He ate as many pretzels as he could cook, wincing occasionally as the heat seared his mouth. He didn't care. It was the first time in a while that he could have a high-quality, hot pretzel. Jonas loved them whenever he knew he had to cut back on junk.

While he took a nibble, he paused and tilted his head, studying Rose on the marry-go-round. She was sitting on one of the horses; head leaned against the twisting pole jammed down the horse's body that held it in place. Her expression was thoughtful and cheerless as she stared at the floor at her feet.

Jonas furrowed his brow with pity before he stared over at the control panel with a faint, yet devious little smile.

While Rose continued to brood, the merry-go-round suddenly roared to life and her eyes snapped open, looking swiftly around her as it began to go in circles, playing the gentle, child - worthy melody that the rides were so famous for. She glared over at Jonas, who stood beside the control panel, grinning at her and waving.

"Jonas!" she snapped, "Come on, I'm not in the mood for this crap right now!"

He chuckled. "Well, Beth's on the other side!" he hollered, gesturing to Beth as she passed in the rotation. "Maybe you can talk her into telling me to shut it off, eh?"

Beth glared at him angrily.

While this scene took place before Wesker and Krauser's eyes, they watched from a distance, eating small morsels of food and drink. They would ration what they could later, but right now, all that they were focused on was this preposterous scene before them. Krauser chuckled and Wesker gave him a serious look which immediately shut him up.

"I don't understand them," Wesker murmured, discontentment in his tone, "They behave like children, endanger their lives for each other and still … they manage to survive to fight another day."

"Maybe it's because they focus on helping each other out," Krauser suggested, "I mean, I wouldn't call it looking out for _Numero Uno_, exactly, but it works out pretty good for them. And if we have to get to Raccoon City in a certain time … It could work out for you in the long run."

Wesker agreed wholeheartedly with that basically because of the reason of it. After all, despite her resentment toward him, Rose was still very dedicated to his cause and his own well being. It was a commendable quality of hers. Perhaps she had overcompensated for having her promises broken many times in her life, he didn't know. And then again, it made no real difference to him.

"Perhaps it still can," he replied, watching as Beth slowly walked across the gyratory carrousel toward Rose.

Once Beth sat down beside her, she didn't say anything for a while. She simply stared at her friend with a small bit of unhappiness in her eyes. Rose met her gaze with an equally aggrieved one of her own.

"Rose, listen, I - - "

"Beth, look - - "

They paused once in the middle of talking at the same time to accumulate their thoughts of what they wanted to say to one another. Jonas watched them with a smile on his face. This plan of his was sure to work. He wanted them to get back on sociable terms again. Jonas wasn't the kind of friend who enjoyed when his other two comrades quarreled, especially at a time like this. It not only upset them, but him as well.

They were starting to talk.

"Beth, I didn't mean all that stuff I said about you," Rose told her, softly, "I was angry because … Well, I got a little scared and I was afraid that I would lose you and Jonas. I thought if I … "

Beth immediately softened, eyes slowly filling, knowing full well what she was trying to tell her. "Oh … come here, girl!" she said, throwing her arms around Rose's shoulders in a tight embrace.

After that, Jonas shut the carrousel down and watched as they stepped down off of it. He smiled cheerfully at them, glad that they had made up again. Then, his smile faded into a look of tenderness.

"Best friends shouldn't fight," he told them, "Especially at a time like this. We need to stick together. We're all that we have left." He gave Rose a look. "So whatever beef _any _of us have with each other, it should be put on hold for now. There are more important things at stake here than our own personal problems."

Wesker seemed to hear that because his head snapped up.

Rose flashed Jonas a broad grin. "Well, you've certainly had a change of brain!" she joked. "Who the hell just died?"

Jonas laughed raucously, not insulted by the crude joke. Then, it died down at he stared at the two skeptically. "Sometimes even a clown has to put a businessman in his place every once in a while," he told her. "I want you guys to always be friends."

Beth and Rose looked at each other distrustfully before they smiled and nodded in concurrence. Jonas gestured to the food shops all around them with an extensive beam on his face.

"So, what say we bury the hatchet and stuff our faces?" he suggested.

O

Krauser was inside an FYE, watching the black and white version of Dawn of the Dead with arms folded across his chest. He tsked skeptically and shook his head. Movies like this were by no means a fragment of the real deal like what they were facing. Jonas walked into the store with a look of consternation on his features at the movie in performance.

"Hey, what you watching?" he asked. He paused and raised his brows with interest. "Hey, is this Dawn of the Dead?"

Krauser chuckled. "Yeah, and it's full of shit," he answered, "I mean, come on. Look at this cheap bull. No one could survive like that in a basement. You'd be dead in a few hours."

"Um, hey, are Rose and the others back from the second floor?" Jonas asked, interrupting his jibe.

Krauser shook his head. "No. They're not here."

Jonas scratched the back of his head. He was afraid to ask him the question that had been bugging him for a little while. "Can I ask you something in the ... well ... highest confidence?" he asked. Krauser turned to face him. "I know this is gonna sound weird, but am I a good - looking guy? Do you think a woman would ever find me attractive?"

On the large screen, a zombie snarled and dove for a screaming woman. Krauser flashed a toothy grin and clapped with both hands, whooping once at the gore. It was hard to tell if it was a sarcastic gesture or a real one. He wasn't even paying attention to the question and Jonas gave up on the idea of having a decent guy-to-guy talk.

"Okay, never mind," he muttered, turning to go.

Krauser grabbed him with one hand before he could go. "Wait, Jonas," he said, "Just hold it for a second. Listen, this is embarrassing for me. This is hard to talk about, I mean, you guys are coming to me with your personal problems like I'm some damn Dr. Phil." He raised his brows and exhaled at Jonas' tense expression. "Are you ready for my honest answer?"

Jonas nodded. "Yes."

Krauser glanced at him up and down. "Yeah. I think you look pretty good for a guy your age," he said, "I don't think that anybody knows it and I don't think anybody can see it."

Jonas smiled slightly. "Well, that's why I'm asking you," he replied, staring up and down at Krauser's firm muscular structure and well - trimmed hair. The metallic limb replacements even enhanced that to a slight degree. "You seem really well - groomed and really put together."

Krauser chuckled softly. "Aww, come on!" he said, "Do you think this was an accident? All of this right here?" He gestured to his abdomen. "I worked hard to get all of this. You gotta do the same. All it takes is a little perseverance and a shit-load of personal ass - whooping, you get me?"

Jonas grinned weakly. "Well, I don't exactly have that in me right now and … "

Krauser suddenly understood why he was interested in this strange subject all of a sudden during these desperate times. He grinned broadly and clapped his hands together. "Oh shit … " he said, "You got a think for Beth, don't you?" He laughed loudly and shook his head. "I fucking knew it!"

Jonas' face went slightly pink.

"I mean, all she does is spend her whole time insulting you," Krauser continued, still amused, "She ain't the least bit nice to you, so why are you into her?"

Jonas smiled weakly. "I've had a thing for her since college," he admitted, "But I thought she'd be into guys with muscles, and well … I thought she wouldn't be into the short, chubby white boys." He gestured to his own bulging stomach."

"Nah, she doesn't seem like that kind of girl," Krauser murmured, finger against his own mouth, trying to hide his own amusement at Jonas' gesture, "Maybe if you tell her, it'll all work out later."

Jonas scoffed. "No. She'd probably just laugh at me."

Krauser shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if it bothers you that much, maybe you should forget the whole deal," he told him, "Now's not a good time to be having relationships anyway. Rose and the boss got away with it because the two of them can face greater hells than you and Beth."

Jonas sighed sadly and felt that it was for the best if he did try and forget about it. Beth wasn't interested in him anyway. It was a waste of time and effort.

O

It had started to rain again.

Rose was watching it through the windows and while she was distracted with its gentle pattering against the glass, Wesker walked by her. He paused in his steps before he approached her.

"It rains quite a bit these days," he said, watching the murky clouds, "Maybe the virus has affected the skies as well."

Rose slowly smiled, her voice filled with a strange sort of relaxation. "Heh. You know, when I was a little girl, my…" She sighed and spoke her words through a hesitating tone, " … dad used to tell me that when it rains, it's the Earth in grief." She chuckled at Wesker's perplexed look. "He was a scientist and a good man of faith, too." She continued. "He told me that the Earth was crying because humans were killing it slowly and painfully. It was being tortured."

Wesker made an acknowledging murmuring sound.

"We may have to spend the night here," he told her, "A day of rest is obviously necessary for all of us."

Rose gave him sides glance before she studied the outside again. She couldn't see what face he was wearing, but she could feel his muscles flexing as he exhaled quietly through his nose.

"You have to understand, Rose, I didn't want this for either of us," he told her, speaking quietly, "but I couldn't see any other way. You were dying out there and I had to make a decision on the spot."

Was he talking about that day that he had made her into what he was? Why was he talking about that day right now? Rose looked at him and his expression was unreadable. She wished that she could read what it was that he was thinking.

"If I had left you there alone, human and weak, right now you'd be in one of the BSAA's interrogation cells for what had happened on board that ship," he continued, "They'd imprison you, torture you, and, in all probability, kill you in the pursuit of finding me. After what you had done, I couldn't let that happen. _That _was why I couldn't leave you alone."

Rose frowned. "I told you that I would have never said a word to anyone. Not for you, but for my friends' sake." she argued, voice slowly rising. She almost sounded like she was getting angry again.

Wesker closed his eyes behind his glasses before he looked over at her. "I'm sorry, but it was a risk that I couldn't have taken at the time. Everything … Even the most subtle of evidence would have been enough for a clever man."

"So how do you explain you saving my life?" Rose said. Her voice was edged now. "I mean, I would have been dead and no one would have even given it a second thought. The world was fucked already, so what would it matter to you if I had died?"

"I saved you purely for my own reasons, Rose," he admitted, "You were the only Wesker child that I had access to at the time and the only one to help me figure out what was going on. I got to you before anyone else could. Looking back at it now, I can see how that could have been a mistake."

Rose glared at him now, turning to face him. "'You _got_ to me'?" she repeated, voice filled with whisper and anger, "You did this to me? You turned me into a monster? You tortured me doing it?" Her glare intensified. "You tortured me and my best friends! My _real _friends!"

Wesker ran his fingertips against the windowsill before he looked at her. "You said you wanted to be a greater person and a stronger one at that; to live without fear and to accept all that the world had to offer. I wish that there'd been an easier way for you to learn, but there wasn't. You were dying and I had no choice. I still needed you."

Rose stared at herself, thought about the infant inside of her. So it had all been just a cruel lie? It had all been a joke? He had simply used her for his own methods? It was true what everyone had said about him; he was a monster.

So why was he silent? Why was there no gloating from him?

"I know that you may never forgive me," he continued, watching her studying her abdomen. His voice grew hard now. "But nor will you understand how hard it was for me to do what I did. Every day I saw in you, everything that I had ever seen in myself!" He turned and faced her completely, his voice dropping. "Every day I wanted to end it there, but every time you refused to give in, I knew that I couldn't."

Rose was breathing heavily, her anger growing and growing. "You sick fuck!" she shouted, "You evil fucking bastard!" She started to go, but Wesker pointed one finger at her, halting her in her steps.

"_You_ could've ended it, Rose;" he told her, sternly, "you could've given in and let yourself die that day. But you didn't. Why is that?"

Rose snarled. "Just leave me alone! I _hate _you!"

"Do you?" Wesker shouted back, "After what I did? Think about it! Would you have wanted to see your friends rotting in a prison cell? Would you have wanted to die alone as you have always lived?"

"Shut up!"

Wesker advanced and his bearing was almost threatening. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him, his grip forceful and ruthless.

"You think you are the only one who has suffered, Rose?" he sneered, "Do you think that it's all on your shoulders? I hated my maker too. I hated him with every bit and fiber within me. Hate was all that I had ever known; it built my very world and taught me how to fight, how to eat and even how to speak. I thought it would be hatred that would kill me in the end." A strange smile pricked the corners of his lips. "But then something happened."

Rose raised her brows.

"I found a creature … a creature just like me in every way," he continued, "And then I realized what good could come out of this, what a gift that both of us had been given by meeting each other."

Rose's frowned intensified. "If you didn't care about me, then why did you … " She trailed off and a slight color touched her cheeks.

Wesker didn't answer.

Meanwhile, outside the mall, toward the Delta Fair and Music Festival, someone was playing a strange collection of acrobatic music. A male voice filled the air from a recording over the PA systems attached to several long telephone poles.

"_Attention, boils and ghouls, it's time for Dr. Wolfenstein's 'Creature Feature Show'! Hey, hey, hey, don't be moving now, don't be moving. We got something real special for you men out there."_

There was a tent and a small shape was moving about. It was a little girl, possibly eight years old performing graceful flips and twirls in a beautiful white, fluffy dress. Her hair was short and blonde, curled in the ends where the base of her neck met her shoulders. Her eyes were a dull blue, telling a story of unnatural maturity.

"_For you, we present the Great Mako and Astrid, otherwise known as Shark Boy and Steel Iron Girl!" _

O_  
_

_Note_-In all honesty, I've wanted to see Memphis. I dunno why. It ranks up there with wanting to go to Washington. This chapter is entitled "rare moment" for a reason. Can you figure out why? And can you guess who this Mako and Astrid are?


	33. Chapter 33: Looking For a Ghost

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

_-_-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Looking For a Ghost**

_El Dorado, Arkansas_

_BSAA Headquarters_

Ivan glared at the watching rows of BSAA men. He ignored their stares and looked down at his son, who seemed to hesitate somewhat at the looks. His son tended to back down when faced with staring; just another thing that he had to teach him to deal with as he grew up.

"Ignore stupid men, son," he assured him, "When we solve problem with Spencer, we can be at peace again." He stopped in front of the front sliding doors and grabbed the handle, but his strength yanked it clean off. He glared down at the handle and scoffed irritably. "Piece of junk American door."

Chris pushed him aside and took hold of the other handle before he gave him a sour look and opened it. He walked inside and the others followed. Ivan gave Mischa a curious smile.

"Wonder what eat them?" he said, chuckling.

"Um … maybe you should probably put the handle down now, papa … " Mischa suggested, as they walked into the building.

"Ah." Ivan placed the handle roughly in the hands of a man in a lab coat and smiled in a friendly manner. "There you go." He grinned broadly and made a waving gesture nearest his own face. "The superglue and rubber bands works best for that break, you know."

The man studied the door handle in his hand with a sigh of dismay to follow.

The Russians and the others walked into the base and down clean, sterile hallways. Several BSAA doctors stopped and studied the bizarre assembly of Russians as they passed by with their fellow soldiers. They whispered cautiously and confused, wondering just what to make of them.

"Take picture, it last longer!" one of the Russians remarked.

Mikhail paused and stopped in front of a staring doctor. He tilted his head at him, leaned forward until their noses barely touched and uttered a loud, deafening 'boo' sound, causing the doctor to yelp out and cringed back in astonishment. Mikhail laughed lowly and followed the others into a room across the hallways.

Jason was waiting for them in the room. It was darkened slightly and resembled a cross - examination room with a large, pallid table in the center of it and two chairs across from one another. Ivan studied the distrustful, overcautious faces of two armed soldiers in the corner and whispered something in Russian to Mikhail before he took a spot into a chair.

"So … you are the Russians Claire told us about?" Jason asked; his voice somewhat unsympathetic.

Ivan smiled. "Yes."

"Tell me … " Jason murmured, picking up a manila-colored folder and flipping through several papers. Ivan recognized his own photo pinned to the front of it. "…What information does a…illegally immigrated Russian have for us on the terrorist?"

Ivan furrowed his brows and leaned back, whispering in Mikhail's ear a few fragments of Russian before the man walked over and roughly snatched the folder from Jason's hands and handed it to his leader. He gave Jason a following grimace of antipathy before he stood at Ivan's side.

"Your wife, Mary Walker met you on a trip to Russia with her grandmother during the Cold War, came across you, had a little bastard son and she couldn't get you into America, am I right?" Jason sounded cruel in his words, and yet Ivan wasn't showing any signs that this affected him at all. "So she had to sneak you in through her ties with the US army!"

Mikhail suddenly held out his machine gun, leveling it at Jason's face, glaring at him menacingly. "Назад прочь, американская собака!" he snarled.

At that, the other soldiers in the room leveled their weapons at Mikhail, which stirred the other Russians to do the same with infuriated shouts in Russian at the Americans. For a moment, no one did anything, save for keeping their guns trailed at one another. Claire stood up and pushed the barrels down, standing treacherously between both classes of militants.

"Alright, stop it!" she insisted, "We're not getting anywhere like this. Lower your guns, boys and lets try to be friends, shall we?"

After what seemed like an eternity of staring down, both sides lowered their weapons, gradually and resentfully. Claire heaved an exhausted sigh and pulled up a chair beside Ivan, rubbing her forehead with one hand. Ivan leaned to one side and whispered in Claire's ear.

"He has the foot up ass, no?" he murmured.

Claire's brows went up at the joke and she slowly looked over at him skeptically. Jason straightened up his jacket and frowned down at Ivan.

"Alright, since we've gotten our friendly hello's out of the way … " he murmured, catching Mikhail's irritated glare before he sat down, "… It's time to get down to business."

"Could not agree more, Mr. Eisenhorne," Ivan told him, "But if we are to reach diplomacy, I ask that men leave room now." He gestured to Jason's soldiers and snapped his fingers at Mikhail, muttering in Russian.

They nodded in acknowledgement and started out of the room.

Jason exhaled with a tired sigh to follow. "Alright. It's a deal." He nodded to his reluctant men and they slowly, grudgingly walked out of the room. The door closed behind them and finally turned to Ivan with a tired smile. "Good?"

Ivan nodded. "Yes, we are."

"Okay, glad we settled that," Jason muttered, irritation in his voice, "Now, can we begin?"

Ivan smirked at his exasperation.

O

In the hallways, both Russian and American soldiers stood uncomfortably beside each other. One of the BSAA soldiers looked over at Mikhail, who stared straight ahead, eyes cold and locked on the wall in front of him. He stood still and straight, awaiting his leader's departure.

"Um … so how's Russia this time of year?" the soldier asked, weakly.

Mikhail shrugged one shoulder, speaking simply and calmly. "It's fine," he murmured.

"Uh, do you like America?" the soldier asked.

Mikhail raised a thick eye brow and slowly looked over at him as if he had just asked the most stupid question in the world. The soldier faltered at his stare and chuckled sheepishly.

"Right. Sorry," he said, carefully.

They were quiet for a while, staring ahead again. Mikhail slowly smiled and chuckled softly to himself, after thinking of the gravity of the question.

"Americans are funny … " he murmured, quiet laughs rumbling out of him.

The BSAA soldiers laughed weakly with him while the Russians began to laugh quietly once they thought about the question that the soldier had asked. It was more or less a warm, comfortable moment between them all. After the concise laughter from them died down, Mikhail reached into a pouch at his side and removed a thermos. He took a drink and offered it to the soldier.

The BSAA man carefully took it and pretended to make a toast. "To freedom?" he tried.

The Russians smiled and nodded at that. When the man took a drink, he gave a sharp mumble and grimaced at the strength of the drink that had nearly burned a hole in his esophagus, attempting to suck it up and smile inadequately at his watchers. The Russians let loose a chorus of loud laughs at his expression, teasing and pointing at him while joking in Russian.

Inside the interrogation room, Ivan could hear the laughter and he smiled warmly at that. Well, at least his men were having a happy moment for the time being. Then, his expression melted away and he looked at Jason, grave.

"You look for dangerous man, Mr. Eisenhorne," he told him, "My maker is smart. It is he who cause destruction of this world."

Jason frowned, folding his fingers together and leaning forward. "And who is this man?" he asked.

"Ozwell Spencer," Ivan answered, "Former Lord of Umbrella."

Jason suddenly laughed, leaning back in his chair. He continued to laugh, looking at the others in the room, who simply stared at each other, missing the joke somewhere. Jason looked back at Ivan, who looked dead serious. He stopped laughing and scowled.

"You can't be serious!" he snapped, "Ozwell E. Spencer is dead! His body was recovered from his estate several years ago!" He rose from his chair. "He was sent to the Washington D.C Memorial Hospital where they placed his corpse in the morgue until they could properly examine his body!"

Ivan grinned broadly and leaned forward, staring deeply at Jason with his cat - like eye glimmering. "According to whom?"

The color completely drained from Jason's face.

O

Jason stormed out of the interrogation room with the others following behind him. Chris walked alongside him and studied his blood-red, furious expression. He also looked a little frightened as well.

"Sir?" Chris said.

"I need to make a phone call!" Jason hissed, his voice filled with menace and a bare hint of terror.

"Look, you can't just phone D.C. and question the Secretary of Defense about something like this!" Claire insisted, "What if the bodies had already been extinguished by then?"

Jason frowned sternly down at her, stopping in front of his office. "They would still keep his files in their stock rooms!" he snapped, "If his body had been transported without proper authorization, then the files wouldn't be there!"

Claire and Chris glanced at each other thoughtfully before they looked back at him. "So do you think that the U.S government might have been behind something like this?" Chris asked.

Jason nodded severely. "That's what I'm about to find out." And with that, he entered his office and slammed the door behind him. The others watched as he hurriedly dialed a number from a bright red phone at the corner of his desk.

"Shit … You can't possibly believe that the government is with this terrorist?" one of the BSAA soldiers argued, quietly.

"How do we know that they didn't do all of this to begin with?" Chris suggested, frowning.

Inside Jason's office, his face was bright red and he was practically shouting in the receiver.

"DON'T YOU TELL ME HIS FILE IS NO LONGER THERE!" he raged, "You kept the goddamn Kennedy files all this time for Christ's sake!" A brief pause. "No, you calm down, asshole! Someone's behind this and I got a source here that says you might have a little part to play in all of this!"

On the other end, the man holding the phone was standing over a blood - stained corpse dressed in a white lab coat. The man was cradling a handgun in one hand while calmly placing papers into a large paper shredder. They were tagged with the name "SPENCER, OZWELL E." He was smiling to himself and speaking calmly over the phone.

"A part to play?" he whispered, "Surely you don't mean the very government who swore an oath to protect its country had something to do with this terrorist. The very same government who uncovered weapons of mass destruction stored in the radical countries. Come now, you know us better than that, Jason."

Jason stood on the other end with horror on his face, slamming the phone down, hard. His knuckles were white as he clung tightly to his desk for support. Chris stepped inside of his office with a reluctant frown on his face. He carefully spoke, making sure not to stir up his boss any more than he already was.

"Uh, Jason?" he said, "Are you alright?"

Jason had reacted only the slightest to the question before he turned and gave Chris a smile. It wasn't entirely a pleasant one either. Chris could see a tiny bead of sweat trickle down the length of the man's nose and drip right off.

"They're in on this whole thing … " Jason whispered, voice cracking, " … The government … they're in on this!"

Chris' eyes snapped wide. For a brief second, he didn't know how to respond to that; instead, he reluctantly stared at the phone and then, back to Jason.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Jason gave him a look, just before the radio and the television set in his office began to fill with loud, piercing static. Chris and Jason looked through the glass to the confused soldiers and doctors. All around them, static was interrupting the mundane and the normal of radio's, TV's, phones and other monitors. Ivan and Claire gave each other curious looks before they glanced over at Jason through the glass.

"Get them back on line," Jason said, darkly.

Suddenly, there was a loud blaring sound and the televisions flickered back on, displaying the figure of the unknown Raccoon City leader behind the entire collection of events. He smiled cheerfully and his voice filtered through ever single electronic device throughout the entire world.

"_My friends … Good evening. Allow me first to apologize for this disruption and the unpleasant turn of events that have transpired over these past few weeks,"_ he announced, causing all heads in the building to turn toward him, _"I am certain that you have wondered who it is behind this whole … charade."_

All across the world, inside basements, shop buildings and huts; the remaining few humans were listening in on the strange man's broadcast.

"_I hope you will not mind me taking a few minutes of your precious, fleeting time to hear what I have to say to you, my children of this new, beautiful world. There are of course those who do not want me to speak, those who would rather the peons, the subjects and the weaklings to stay silent and obedient. I suspect that even now," _He smiled, thinking about Wesker and his act of revenge. "_there are some who are plotting against me. Some who merely want my head on a silver tray without just cause and knowledge of my identity? Why is this? It is because of their animal fear. While actions are bestial and passionless, words can carry their power beyond such thoughtlessness and carnal emotions. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth._

_Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and subjugation are what have killed many of our kind. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now had censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission, encasing you into capitulation. However, this will not be so in my new world. Those imprudent, cruel leaders and their dictatorial ways have kept you silent, kept you frightened to be as you are. And who could blame these leaders for their dreadful proceedings? There was a multitudinous of problems which conspired to corrupt reason and rob them of their common sense._

_They promised you order, they promised you appeasement against the wars that they had started, and all they demanded in return was your unspoken, subservient consent. But do not allow these pitiful and horrible matters to discourage you. For even now, I, the new God of this world, have made plans to return Earth to its former glory. I have planned to bring back what we have lost during our rugged evolution. For when you choose a leader, you will choose me, for I will not fail you. I will bring you endless joy and love; what you so desperately lacked." _

Chris scowled furiously at the television screen and almost turned it off, but he knew that it would make little difference if he did or not. It was the voice of this man, the will behind the coming revolution of the surviving human race and the cause of its destruction. This was not Ozwell E. Spencer, but another maniac whose mentality was just as insane as the former Umbrella Founder.

"_This __is a _new_ age, my children, _and a _new_ _world_._ Do what you must to be victorious and do what you must to survive, for if you are to survive, you will rise up as a new human race, greater than your ancestors! Today is the day that destiny has promised us. No longer will we suffer the abyssment and the corruption of our old ways. Old lives undone, left behind, strange faces made familiar, new nightmares to challenge sleep, new friends to feel safe with. Only then comes control, the need to impose order onto _chaos_ through determination, through study, through struggle ... _

The man smirked intensely, his blue eyes flashing. He seemed to stare directly into Chris' soul as he continued with his speech.

"_BSAA, governments of the world; what can you offer humanity? Since we can remember, you have done nothing but drown man's soaring desires in a deluge of sanctimonious morality. You've inflamed the pubertal mind of youth with your repellent dogma of original sin. And now you absolve in denying them the ultimate joy beyond death by destroying me? But you will fail, as you have always failed. We were both created in man's image, but it is I who will rise up and be the creator of next man himself. _

_So, my children of this new world, if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me. I ask you to follow my way of thinking. Fealty shall be rewarded with protection and care, infidelity with retribution. You choose. And choose wisely."_

And then, the message ended, following with the empty, loud static once more and the silence of the stunned soldiers inside the BSAA headquarters.

_Memphis, Tennessee_

Jonas was sound asleep in the toy store, cuddled with several over - sized stuffed animals and a few junk food wrappers were littered in a fine circle around him. A little drool trickled down the length of his chin.

Krauser was sound asleep on a hammock in a store across from Jonas, leg dangling down over the edge and a gentle ocean sound playing in the background. His TMP rifle was cradled in his stomach.

Beth was sleeping inside a Mattress shop, her handguns sitting beside her boots and jacket. She shifted a little in her sleep and rolled onto one side, mumbling something. Rose was sitting in a bed that was almost too big for her. She was rolling a snow globe around in her hands, watching the little flakes drop down on a smiling girl with a puppy in her lap.

"Rose?"

Rose furrowed her brow and rolled a little to see Wesker standing at the side of the bed, watching her.

"Oh. Wesker, hi." she said, quietly, her eyes focused on the snow globe once more.

He cocked his head. "You seem restless."

"I can't sleep, that's all," Rose answered, "Just having trouble; it's nothing you need to worry your head over." She grunted quietly and rubbed her right eye with one hand.

Wesker frowned. "Have you been crying?"

Rose rolled her eyes and sighed a little bit through near pursed lips. "Why do you care, anyway?" she murmured, "Just go ahead and make fun of me and get it out of your system." She sounded resigned and deadpanned. The near defeat in her voice was almost more than Wesker could bear. He wouldn't listen to a creation of his own blood speak in such a way.

"I am going to find somewhere to rest and keep watch," he groused, turning to go, "Good night."

"Wait."

Wesker paused and looked back at her. She was gesturing with one hand and her features repentant and somewhat saddened.

"Just stay," she pleaded, quietly, "Just stay until I fall asleep."

Wesker almost left anyway, taking no regard to her ill emotions. But after a while, he found her eyes almost inviting. Perhaps it was his lack of sleeping these past few days or something else foreign to him; he did not understand this uncharacteristic behavior. But he found that he wanted to sleep. Maybe now was as good a time as any to catch up on that.

He slowly climbed into the bed with her and Rose smiled lightly. He felt warm against her and it was a comforting feeling. After a brief moment, Wesker spoke.

"Why do you cry?"

That was a strange question. Rose's brow knotted and she leaned her head to one side. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Exactly as it sounds," he replied, "Why do you, Rose Bedford, cry?" He inhaled slightly. "It's strange."

She chuckled quietly. "What? You mean, you've never actually cried?" When he didn't answer, her brows went up and she rolled onto her back, staring at him with surprise on her face. "You mean, you've never actually cried before?"

"No."

His features were unreadable and confused almost. Rose raised a single brow, trying to read his expression to see if he was really lying or not. But a part of her knew that he had no reason to tell a lie. After all, he even told her a while back that he loathed liars.

"Well … sometimes, when something makes you sad … angry … even happy, you cry," Rose tried to explain it, "It's when emotions build up so much that you have to let them out somehow. You choose to kill. Sometimes I choose to get pissed and take it out on others. Not exactly a great strength, but sometimes, emotions have to come out one way or another."

Wesker tilted his head with a chuckle of agreement. "Yes, I have witnessed the end results of your… release of emotion." He exhaled and the smile disappeared from his features. "However, it is merely a weakness to weep. Why allow yourself to be seen in such a fragile state?"

Rose made a sound that resembled a scoff before she rolled onto her side. "I guess in some ways, that's true." she agreed. But her voice didn't match her concurrence with him.

They were quiet for a while before Wesker leaned forward, breathing frivolously against her neck. He watched goose bumps prickle her pale flesh and listened to a slight hitch in her breathing. He smirked to himself.

Rose suddenly reached up and took his hand, interrupting his moment of smug self-satisfaction, placing it against her abdomen. He blinked and tilted his head, listening and feeling the tiny beating of the little heart nestled safely inside of her. She didn't speak, but he knew what she wanted to tell him and had the pride not to do so after what she had said before.

_I still need you._

_O  
_

_Note_-I love Ivan and his buddies! They were my favorite characters to make! As for Ivan's wife, I had named her after Dr. Mary Walker of the Civil War. Dr. Walker was an early suffragette, one of the earliest women physicians, a champion for more comfortable clothing for women and a pioneer for women in many areas. LOL. And Ivan is not exactly what you would call a…technological wiz.

_Назад прочь, американская собака!_ - "Back off, American dog!"


	34. Chapter 34: L'Une Oublié

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Four: L'Une Oublié**

_Memphis, Tennessee_

"Goddamn it!"

The hordes of the undead had circled the mall, moaning and hand slapping at the glass that would hold, but not for long. Rose's cry had been barely audible among the moans and grunts of the dead surrounding their only sanctuary that they had at the moment. They were everywhere; surrounding every path of escape.

"Just so you know, Jonas, I blame you for this," Beth snapped, backing up with her handguns locked and loaded, aimed for the windows should they break at any second. "You just had to play that damn music at full blast, didn't you?"

Jonas glared at her and whispered fiercely, cocking his shotgun. "Pointing fingers ain't gonna do shit for us right now or get us back to the RV!"

"He's right," Krauser said, cautiously, "We have to stay calm, not make any sudden moves and slowly back away from the windows and doors."

The four began to back away as slow as they could, making no sudden gestures that would rile up the undead. Wesker studied every available exit that was blocked or barricaded by writhing, moaning bodies before he glanced over his shoulder, lips pursed attentively. Rose followed his stare inquisitively.

"What about the garage?" Wesker suggested, "Perhaps we can elude the dead through there, exit through the back and take the long way around?"

Rose nodded anxiously, just as the glass slowly began to crack. "Hell, I'm game," she said, "RUN!"

The four turned and fled down the gaping corridors of the mall, just as the glass doors splintered and collapsed off of their hinges, piles of bodies climbing through to get the living, breathing prey. Krauser occasionally fired off rounds from his TMP rifle in an attempt to slow them down.

Rose ran up to the elevator and began to rapidly pound on the OPEN key. She glanced back desperately as the zombies had begun to move closer and closer toward them. Krauser pumped round after round at them, tearing skulls and bone into mushy pulp. As soon as the doors roared open, everyone huddled inside and Wesker began to press the B label on the button pad.

Just as the doors began to close, a single zombie lunged forward with a shrieking cry, its head getting caught in between the closing doors. Everyone reacted with startled cries as it wriggled around its entrapment, screaming and thrashing. Wesker raised one foot and slammed it against the zombie's head over and over again before it finally caved and retreated back, just as the doors roared shut.

"Holy shit … " Jonas gasped, heaving a relieved sigh, "That was too damn close!"

Wesker glowered down at him. "Are you mad?" he hissed, his teeth clenched, "This could have been avoided if you took a brief pause in your stupidity!"

Jonas shrank beneath the collection of angry stares. "Um … I guess a 'sorry' is out of the question?" he stammered.

"You're a sorry!" Beth barked, as the elevator stopped with a low grinding sound, "A sorry excuse of a human being!"

"Dude … " Jonas protested.

The doors groaned as they opened and the four hurried into the dark, empty parking garage, eyes never leaving every corner, every shadow where there was a possibility of the undead lurking. Wesker could see the garage door exit up ahead and grunted with determination as he surged forward.

The metal-linked chain barricade was down and Wesker easily broke through with both hands. He rushed out into the sun and looked around, spotting the mob of zombies slowly closing in, obviously drawn in by the sound of the metal breaking. He hissed angrily through his teeth.

"Damn you!" he growled, taking off.

The others followed behind him. Jonas was breathless as he ran, struggling to keep up. Rose saw that he was slowing down and paced herself to take his arm and push him forward.

"Come on, don't give up on us now!" she insisted, smiling in breathless anticipation.

Jonas nodded, breaths coming in great, gulping gasps. He spotted the Delta Fair and Music Festival up ahead of them and pointed with one, trembling finger. The white building beside the various tents seemed to be their only hope for sanctuary at the moment.

"There!" he cried, "There aren't many windows in there!"

And that was where they went; they raced as fast as they could for the front doors and hurried inside. As soon as Beth rushed into the building, Wesker slammed the doors shut behind him and quickly dented the handles and the stoppers, blocking the doors entirely to prevent any break - ins.

"Shit … " Krauser gasped, his hands against his knees as he took in fierce gulps of air. " … Goddamn it. We're fucking trapped in here, aren't we?"

"Looks that way, for now," Wesker replied, looking around the warehouse.

Jonas looked around and noticed a table that was covered head to toe with fancy desserts, punch bowls, and tasty - looking food. He grinned and licked his lips, starting for the table. "All that running scared shitless has my appetite worked up! I think I'll try - - "

Beth suddenly grabbed his arm with a sharp cry, stopping him. "No! Please, Jonas, send an impulse to your brain and stop!"

He frowned at her in protest. "What?"

"Free food sitting out in the open like this!" Beth snapped, gesturing to the table, "Has it never occurred to you that this _might_ be a trap?"

He looked thoughtful for a few moments before he stared miserably at the delicious food table. "B - But - - "

Suddenly, the lights flashed on around them and music began to play. It reminded them all of the sounds played at a circus. They looked around for the source of the sudden light show and music. A strange, adult male's voice filled the air over speakers positioned against the walls and doors.

"_The house of illusion! The slight of hand! The bizarre and the unexplainable! Welcome one and all to the house of FREAKS!_"

"What the hell?" Krauser said, confused.

"Where is that coming from?" Rose wondered, eyes studying every little detail in the warehouse. "Should someone say something?" When all heads turned to her, she visibly grimaced, knowing that she had been silently selected for the task at hand. "Please don't look at me … "

"_Please, have your tickets ready and prepare to be amazed and astounded at what awaits you here! So, let's get started! A wonderful treat awaits you, visitors! So, expect the unexpected!_"

Wesker scowled. "Come out and show yourself!" he shouted.

There was a sound over the PA system, a noise resembling a static-filled tape being taken out of a cassette player. Finally, the voice changed into that of a little girl. It was slightly accented and reminded Rose of perhaps someone from France.

"_Like a bee to honey, you are drawn to me, and like a little bee, you find retreat impractical, don't you?_" the little girl crooned.

Wesker frowned and Rose called up to the child. "I'm not here to play your fucked up games, kid!" she shouted, "We're just here to find a place to hide and we'll be on our way!"

There was a chuckle over the PA system. There was much more intelligence to this child than met the eye, or in this case, the ears. "_No, not like a bee at all; not like those other helpless people lining the wretched bowels of this city_."

Rose scowled. "Enough of your babbling!" she called, "It's been a real pissy morning for all of us! Come out so we can see you!"

There was a brief pause over the PA system. "_You're not so easily subjective to the whims of others, that much is understandable,_" the girl mused, "_No, that would be so … normal, wouldn't it? Yes ... normal. You're much more, aren't you?_"

Then, a set of doors opened off to the side and all heads turned in their direction. A little girl dressed in a silky, fluffy dress stepped out with a cheerful smile on her face. She looked to be about eight years old. How could such a small child survive in a hellish nightmare like this?

"Who are you, little girl?" Jonas asked, "Where's your parents?"

The girl smiled at him, brows raised skeptically. It was a gesture entirely too mature for her child-like features.

"You have very poor assumptions by what it is that lays before you. You are a credit to the human race," she informed, startling them all with her superior vocabulary skills, "I'm not the child that you think I am. I am 44 years old."

Krauser's brows went up. "Uh … I take it you're not a normal little girl?"

She chuckled quietly and nodded. "I suppose you'd be right about that," she replied, "I haven't been a normal little girl since the day HE took me away and gave me those terrible injections."

Wesker's face seemed to light up a bit. "Ah! I have heard of you," he said, "The child prodigy of the French Institutions. Astrid Laroache." He chuckled quietly. "It seems that you weren't a prodigy after all, but a woman in the body of an 8 - year old girl!"

The girl - Astrid smiled broadly, not in the least bit affronted by the almost mocking tone in his voice. "Hm. You've done quite a bit of research, I see," she replied, "I suppose there is no less to anticipate from the famed Albert Wesker himself. You were the Master's much loved toy, after all." Her smile became slightly venomous. "But you see; I'm not the only Wesker child here."

Behind Astrid, a taller, powerfully built silhouette appeared and a pair of yellow eyes leered out at them. A brace of lips pulled back into an extensive, toothy grin. All of the teeth were long and pointed.

O

"What the fu…" Jonas' gasp faded down as the secondary figure stepped out into the light.

"This is Mako Tanaka, my dear friend and humble guardian," Astrid told them, patting the giant's leg soothingly. "He is so glad to have company today. It's been some time since he has had any friends."

Mako's entire body was rippled with raw muscle, hunched over somewhat and his powerful-looking, extended-fingered arms hung over in front of him. He had uneven, spiked hair that covered his entire head and dangled down the length of his angular, stubble face. His eyes were distant and sunken in his head, hard as stone and almost unresponsive; his ears were tipped and pointed. He was wearing a black tank top that almost looked to be too small for him and a pair of cargo pants and no shoes.

"Whoa … !" Jonas exclaimed, "Look at the size of those muscles!"

Mako's eyes narrowed.

"What's his flaw?" Jonas continued, grinning, failing to notice that Mako was stalking heavily over to him, "Was he just hit on the head with two many giant goofy hammers or something?" He gestured to his own head and laughed.

Suddenly, Mako's muscular hand closed around his gullet and he lifted him clear off of his feet, bringing the choking, squirming man up to his gloomy, vacant gaze. He revealed his pointed teeth and spoke in a firm, Japanese accent. His words were punctuated very slowly, as if he had difficulty doing so.

"Do … not … smile … " he hissed, "Or … I … will … pop … your … skull … like … a … cherry … "

Jonas gagged and tried to force a grin. "It was a terrible accident, Sir. Believe me; I would never do anything to offend a man of your size. Please accept my most sincere apology."

Wesker rolled his eyes behind his glasses and mumbled his disgust at the cowardly action.

Astrid walked up and patted Mako's leg with one tender hand. "Mako … go ahead and put the brainless man down, please," she suggested, "That isn't how we treat our guests, no matter how badly informed they truly are."

Mako looked down at her with a deep, dry rumble before he glared at Jonas. "Stupid maaaan." And then, he opened his hand and Jonas fell to the floor with a yelp of pain, clearing his throat halfheartedly. Mako stomped heavily away.

Astrid smiled optimistically at them. "Please forgive Mako," she said, "He really dislikes it when people poke fun at us. He's very sensitive." She looked down at Jonas and chuckled, patting his knee. "I think he actually likes you, boy."

Jonas grinned weakly and spoke, wheezing like a balloon. "If that's his idea of love, I'd hate to see mad!" he panted.

Astrid looked at the others. "You must be exhausted," she told them, "Since you have come this way, I should offer my hospitality and nourish you before you go on your way. You may shower also, if you desire. There is a washroom just down that hall." She pointed her finger down another length of hallway adjacent to the doors that she had emerged from.

Krauser helped Jonas stand. "Nah, that's alright," he told her, "We can't stay long. We have to hurry up to Raccoon City."

Astrid's eyes were unbreakable, but she was smiling still. "I insist."

O

The room was the pinnacle of what could only be described as a proud pack rat living here. There were Christmas lights hanging everywhere, photographs pinned on a dartboard and on a corner of the wall, scraps and articles of newspapers, small statues and empty bottles. The list could have gone on.

The television played only tape recordings. This tape was playing an 'I Love Lucy' episode. Mako was watching the television with a small smile on his face. When Jonas walked over to see what he was watching, Mako scowled angrily at him and growled lowly.

"Whatcha watchin' there, big guy?" he asked.

"TV. Now go." Mako snapped, pushing him aside as if he was nothing.

Jonas grimaced and walked over to Astrid, who was preparing the table with a multiplicity of dinner plates and glasses. Everything was so incompatible and out of order, it was amusing. He reached over to lend a hand, but she swatted his offer away with her elbow.

"Don't help," she told him, severely, "I've had enough of people trying to do that for me."

Jonas exhaled and nodded his head with concurrence. He didn't want to exasperate her and have her sic the big guy on him. He even cringed when Mako gave him a forewarning leer. He shuddered before he scratched the back of his head.

"So … how did you manage to survive all these years in a child's body?" he asked.

Astrid continued to focus on what she was doing. "A lot of connections," she replied, "Some of them were not as good as others, but that's how I learned to accept the unavoidable. Mako and I got along pretty good when we entered the circus. No one really bothered us and that's how we liked it. The Master in charge took care of us." She chuckled and shook her head. "It's a shame he couldn't take care of himself."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when the virus hit, we were the ones who knew that it would come about long before it did," Astrid explained, "It's like a sixth sense to be exact. It was something engrained in our brains the day he began the research."

Jonas' eyes grew wide. "How's that possible?"

"It cannot be explained really," Astrid replied, smirking, "It may do more harm to your inferior intellect than good any good."

He frowned with irritation.

Astrid turned and opened a closet door and fresh bags of garbage poured out in great bundles. She uttered a French curse and backed up, shaking her head. Obviously, she had forgotten about this garbage. Jonas blinked in surprise.

"It's the Sea of Corruption!" he gasped.

She smiled painfully. "That's actually a pretty good analogy." She turned to Mako. "Mako, the garbage has become an overflowing burden. Would you mind sending it to the burners while I prepare dinner?"

He nodded his head and got up, mumbling something to himself while she laughed softly at him, patting his leg comfortingly before turning to Jonas.

"Forgive me," she replied, "It isn't often that we have guests."

Jonas gave a nervous smile. Astrid cocked her head and gestured behind her. "Dinner shall be ready soon," she said, "Inform your friends. They should be in the shower cleaning up."

Jonas nodded. "Sure."

In the locker room, Wesker and Krauser had been showering in opposing stalls, heads hanging beneath the hose that shot for jets upon jets of steam. On the other side, over rows and rows of lockers was Beth. She was just finishing up with her shower and buttoning up her clothes. She rushed out of the locker room where Jonas was, hand over his eyes.

"You decent?" he stammered, not even daring to risk a peek. He was a jerk sometimes, but not a fucking jerk.

Beth rolled her eyes and gave him a push. "Yeah! Now go, will you?"

Rose was inside one of the shower stalls, letting the water run down her head and neck, sending shudders of warmth down the lengths of her legs. While she was relaxing with her head beneath the hot jet of water, Krauser was already disappearing out of the front doors of the locker room, wiping his face with a bath towel.

After a few moments of watching the water swirl down the drain, she turned the little knobs, shutting the water off. There was no running water right now, so she had to guess that everyone had finished up but her. Well, she wasn't in any mood to rush; after all, it had been a while since she had taken a good long shower.

Rose began to dress herself, sliding on her pants and boots. Just as she pulled her muscle undershirt over her head and down over her body, she was stunned to find Wesker now right in her face. His wet hair was dripping with water and slightly out of place; Rose had never seen him once with his hair out of place before. He had his pants on and his exposed chest glistening with little drops of water.

Wesker uttered a closed - mouth chuckle. "Rose, you're pretty jumpy," he teased, "Did I scare you?"

"No." Rose lied, hoping that he wouldn't catch the quickness in her reply.

"Huh. Why can't I believe you?" he murmured, leaning in closer.

Rose reached up with one of her hands and pressed it against his abdomen to keep him at bay, but she paused as she gently felt the dampened raw muscle beneath her touch and nearly melted. Dammit, why did she crave him like a high school girl looking for a good time? This wasn't how she would behave otherwise.

Maybe in some small way, she still needed him. It was an unexplainable feeling and one that became difficult to resist.

It was even harder to fight it when she felt his hand moving higher above her head, leaning against the locker to prevent her from moving away from him. Rose shut her eyes, not willing to argue right now. She opened them and stared at him with a warning frown.

"Let me go." she warned.

"And if I don't?" His smile was challenging. Obviously, he was in one of his strange moods again. Why he did this to her she didn't understand. Maybe he just liked to torment her. He made that obvious on a few points before, so why would anything change since their conversation?

"Maybe you like when I do this to you," Wesker taunted, "Perhaps you enjoy being my little play toy." His chuckle was silenced when Rose suddenly punched him hard in the jaw, sending him scattering across the floor of the lockers.

"Or maybe I just like kicking your ass." Rose hissed, furiously.

Outside in the room where everyone waited, they could hear the sounds of the floor trembling as Wesker's body hit the wall. Astrid glanced up skeptically and gave Jonas and the others a curious frown. They grinned painfully at her and tried to keep her attention away from the nonsense that they knew was playing out right now.

"They're just talking." Jonas said.

Inside the locker room, Wesker had lunged for Rose with a furious hiss and slammed her into the wall by the throat, bringing his nose inches from her face. She looked absolutely pissed, nostrils flared and eyes widened. She grabbed at his hand around her throat and her cheeks and eyes had reddened somewhat.

"You have quite a bit of guts to assume that you could just sucker punch me like that, Rose," he sneered, tilting his head to one side, revealing the crimson place where she had punched him, "Maybe I should return the favor?"

Rose grinned viciously at him. "Go ahead," she whispered, heavily, "It'd be like us bonding as a family!" She kicked her legs somewhat. "Just you … and me … and the only child that you've never wanted."

"Your mood swings are giving me a headache," Wesker sneered, brow furrowed. His body pressed so close to hers, his dampened chest pinning her to the wall. "You should really check your priorities and get them in order before I do it for you."

"Then let me go and we'll call it even!" Rose hissed back.

Wesker's eyes wandered about, searching her face. He lightly smiled at her. There was something about this woman … While his intentions were to make her into a living being like him for his own study and amusement, he found that perhaps it had been a mistake on his part. Those red flaring eyes … The flushed skin …The panting lips … Something about her became irresistible to him. She had something inside of her, something - - no, a part of her - - that he himself had never experienced. He was not too sure what that was, but he just found her so … delightful.

"Oh, but I cannot," he murmured, leaning in slightly where his lips nearly met hers. "I just ... cannot do that." He lowered his elbow somewhat, while still keeping his grip on her neck. He moved closer, his thighs brushing against hers.

Rose felt her eyelids becoming heavier. She clenched her teeth and struggled to keep her focus. _Don't give in … Don't let him have the satisfaction of knowing that he can please you …_

"And why can't you?" she asked.

"Because ... " His lips were closer to her parted lips; almost to the point of touching barely, an angel-light touch that became unbearable. "That would not be fun."

Rose nearly met his lips until he pulled his head away and ghosted them over her exposed throat. He felt her body shudder beneath him and a surprised squeak filling his ears. He chuckled wickedly in her ear before sinking his teeth into the sensitive junction where her shoulder met her neck.

Rose gasped quietly and Wesker growled deeply against her, his chest vibrating from the action. His arm fell away from her throat once he was positive that she would not resist him again and encircled her waist, trapping her harshly against his chest and the wall behind her. She thrust her body into his, wrapping his arms around his dampened back and trying to hold on.

He snarled at her and shoved her into the wall, his lips pressed roughly onto hers, tilting his head and thrusting his tongue against the roof of her mouth, tasting and exploring every bit of her. Rose moaned into his mouth and her fingers kneaded the muscles of his shoulders.

While he distracted her with kissing, his hand slid down her smooth stomach and in between her legs, causing Rose to part her lips from his in a quick, heavy gasp.

A smug smirk touched Wesker's lips and he stroked the warm cloth, listening to her breathing quicken. She drew her stomach in instinctively, knees beginning to give way to his touches and her hands scrabbled for purchase on his shoulders and her knees almost gave out. She nearly lost it when he brought her to the edge and removed his hand.

Rose glared at him angrily, pent up energy roaring through her frame. She bared her teeth.

"Jerk."

He laughed cruelly and walked away to collect his clothing before tilting his head and grinning at her furious, aroused expression.

"You are too easy to arouse, Rose," he sneered.

O

After the incident in the locker room, Wesker and Rose had joined the others to eat. Astrid had begun discussing her thoughts on the entire plan that Spencer had devised. As they listened while they ate, Astrid had turned the subject a little bit.

"I had met Mako shortly after Spencer had tossed me back to my motherland with no where else left to go," Astrid exhaled, "I turned to the one place that I knew we would be safe from persecution: Here. In this very circus." Jonas giggled at the irony of the situation and Astrid scowled at him. "Stop that giggling. It's making me uncomfortable."

"Do you know something about Spencer's plan?" Rose asked, "If you do, perhaps you could tell us what it is. It would make things easier for us." She caught Wesker's inquisitive stare and rolled her eyes before she added then, "And how he managed to survive Wesker killing him?"

Astrid cocked her head curiously. "I apologize, but he told me nothing," she answered, with dismay, "I am sorry if it does not help you. But you have to understand that he is too powerful for us to fight. The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be."

Wesker rose from his spot and turned to the others. "Let's go," he told them, "There is nothing she can do to help us."

Jonas got up and started to protest through a mouthful of food. "B-But we ain't finished yet!" he insisted.

Astrid stood up and scowled. "You don't know what he's capable of!"

Wesker suddenly appeared in front of her in an inky smear, his face inches from hers. His eyes were bright red in fury.

"You don't understand a thing!" he whispered frostily, "It's because you and your large, foolhardy friend have scruples. I'll blow a hole in your face and still sleep like a baby. There is no one who dares cross me! Not even Spencer himself. I have proven that once before already and I will surely do it again."

Mako started to charge for him with a bellow of fury, but Wesker barely budged and swung his hand, smacking Mako across the face and sending him flying backwards through the tower of lights with a loud, resounding crash. Everyone flinched sharply and stared at him in disbelief.

"Do you understand, little girl?" Wesker hissed, "If there is something you know, you had better tell me, or you are next and believe me, your body is sure to break more than his." He gestured to Mako, who was climbing slowly out of the rubbish with a groan of pain.

Astrid gave him a small smile, despite the fact that her heart was fluttering wildly in her chest. She had dealt with men like this who had tried to shake her up with brute strength. So instead of cowering in fear, she inhaled and locked gazes with his.

"Spencer has an estate in the swamps of Louisiana," she told him, "It has been abandoned for years. I know that he has several smaller laboratories located beneath the basement walls. There is something waiting for you there, I can promise you that."

Wesker's eyes narrowed. "And what would that be?" he demanded, lowly.

"Information," Astrid continued with her voice low and quiet. She met Rose's gaze and said nothing more before Mako approached her and the two stared at them for a long time before she continued. "I do not expect you to succeed; the part of me that obeys his command. But the part of me that is still human wishes that you find what you need to stop him."

As the four left the warehouse, carefully sneaking out of the back way; Jonas was rambling on with Krauser regarding Mako.

"Maybe he just took a big blow to the head. It happened to my grandmother. She got hit on the head by a radio controlled plane at a county fair," he said, "From that moment; she was obsessed with pygmy goats."

Krauser visibly cringed. "There wasn't a single bit of that sentence I understood."

Over the PA system came Astrid's voice, speaking in a ringleader's voice. She seemed light - hearted given the situation that had just transpired a while ago.

"_A warning to the old, the young, and the weak at heart, it only gets more fantastic, more…dare I say…fucked up from here! Hahahah! Send my regards, to Spencer, Mr. Wesker_!"

O

_Note_- L'Une Oublié is French for "The Forgotten Ones". Wesker is getting desperate for information. Sometimes desperation can be quite ugly, can't it?


	35. Chapter 35: Course Correction

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Albert Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Course Correction**

_Memphis, Tennessee _

The river would be difficult to cross, especially with the RV, Wesker noted as they stopped as far as the road would take them. It looked to have been the only way to the other side and there were no signs of anything that could transport it safely. Wesker exhaled and looked back at Jonas as he stood on the edge of the bank, kicking rocks into the water.

"Find a ferry station nearby or a sign that will take us to one," he ordered, watching Jonas stand at attention as soon as he spoke, "If there is one and a ferry, we can make it across."

Jonas nodded and took off toward a small information booth just a few yards away, looking through small flyers that had been scattered all across the concrete. He stumbled about, trying to grab what he thought would be important. While he did that, the others carefully surveyed their surroundings with rapt attention should the undead make a surprise appearance.

"Isn't there a bridge nearby or something?" Rose wondered, looking around in the murky water for signs of danger that she felt were there. "I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to just find a bridge?"

"We do not have the proper time to run up and down the longest river in America to seek out a bridge," Wesker told her, giving her a look, "If there are other available options to us, we will take them to ensure that we get to Raccoon City."

Rose frowned at him.

Jonas suddenly jogged up to them, panting. He held out a small pamphlet to Wesker that he had opened with a map of the length of the river and symbols of attractions surrounding it.

"There's a small dock a little ways north of us," he told him, "Probably 15 minutes drive at the most."

Wesker nodded and gestured to the idling vehicle in front of them. "Alright, all of you move!"

They hurried back onto the RV and Krauser took the wheel. They rode along the length of the riverbank and Rose continued to watch the dark, muddy water, suspicious about its seemingly soundless tranquility. She really didn't know what it was, but something told her that this river was dangerous and that crossing a bridge was the best option for them to take. It was a small, quiet voice in the back of her head that warned her about something that she couldn't see.

"Wesker, I don't think that a ferry is going to be a safe way across this river," she protested, "I think that we really need to talk about this."

He sneered at her in response. "You have a problem with my plan, Rose?" he snapped, "Just save it! We cannot afford to waste precious time on your own paranoid doubts."

Rose didn't have it in her to argue, only to worry about her friends' safety. If they had to do it his way, she would work around that…for the time being. As long as her friends stayed out of harms way, she didn't care what they did. But a small part of her began to worry about the choice that she had just made and what impact that it would have on them all.

After a while, they arrived at the pier and noticed a small transport ferry sitting quietly there. As Wesker stepped out to survey the conditions of the vehicle and the size, he smiled with pleasure. It would be just enough to carry the RV down the length of the river to where there was sure to be another pier. After all, from what Jonas had told him, the pamphlet revealed this to be a a public attraction, perhaps used to study the water and the forest life around them.

"Wait!" Rose said.

Everyone looked back at her curiously. "What's wrong, Rose?" Beth asked.

"It's too easy," Rose said, frowning at them pleadingly, glancing up and down, her eyes surveying the transport with confusion and doubt, "Why would a ferry, big enough to carry our RV still be here during the zombie outbreak? Someone should have taken it to get to safety, am I right?"

They stared at one another, now beginning to wonder about this plan. Wesker looked a little fed up with her constant interruptions and arguments regarding his idea of getting them to the other side.

"Rose, we do not have time for this!" he snapped, "If your suspicions held even a glimmer of relevancy, the virus had struck without warning, so regardless of the ferry being an option for escape, they would never have made it far!"

Rose shook her head. "Guys, I just…" She paused before trying again. "Something just doesn't feel right!"

Beth began to question this as well. Rose never had a reason to steer them in the wrong direction before. With her heightened senses, she was amazed that Wesker didn't feel the same way about the whole thing. Perhaps Rose's mutations affected her in a different way in comparison to his. She looked over toward an exasperated Wesker.

"Maybe we need to discuss this as a group," she suggested, "Something might actually be wrong with this whole thing. It's not in Rose to play practical jokes, Wesker."

Wesker turned to her and his eyes flared a deep crimson, his teeth bared. He spoke in a dark, cruel voice to her. "Whether you are or are not on that ferry is up to you, but regardless, I am going." He proved his point by stepping down onto the boat and walking to the control system toward the front, willing to start it up at any second.

Krauser gave the two women an apologetic grimace while Jonas rushed passed him to get onto the ferry. "Better do what he says," he suggested, "I sure as hell don't wanna be alone in this mess, do you?" And with that, he entered the RV on the driver's side to properly drive it onto the ferry.

Rose looked at Beth miserably before she stepped down onto the ferry; coldly pushing passed Wesker as he instructed Krauser while the man began to guide the RV slowly onto the boat. The entire commuter boat groaned at the additional, supplementary weight of the vehicle and nearly sank, but after a while of adjusting, it seemed to uphold a safe and preserved symmetry in the water.

"Goddamn ... " Beth whispered, cautiously, "Is this thing going to hold us all _and _the RV?"

Rose gave Wesker a cold smirk with her eyebrows raised in a mocking display; she shrugged her shoulders once. "I guess we have no choice but to test that theory, don't we?"

He smirked dryly right back at her before he turned around to Krauser. "Alright, let's go!" Wesker commanded, in a loud voice to the ex - militant.

"Sure thing, boss!" Krauser acknowledged, slowly starting up the motor.

Rose still had her doubts about this whole thing. Wesker wasn't thinking very clearly because of the information that Astrid had given him and the doubts about Spencer that were on his mind. She wasn't sure what kind of trouble they would get in to on their trip down here, but she knew that it would come somewhere along this river bank.

O

The night had started to set in and strange animal sounds filled the air; the trilling chirping of reptiles and the wailing screeching sounds of birds. It was difficult to tell if they were hungry, infected sounds of T-virus victims or simply night creatures calling to one another for lesser, minor prey. Well, that last thought was merely wishful thinking to Rose.

Jonas' eyes continued to nervously wander around the woods and waters. He held his shotgun close to his chest. Krauser stood beside him and raised his brows slightly with amusement.

"What's wrong?" he teased, "You scared?"

Jonas glared at him.

Rose watched the woods around them, her eyes squinting as she peered into the darkness. So far, everything seemed to be normal. She had no reason to suspect foul play thus far. Maybe she was just feeling paranoid, given the situation and their case of bad luck that they have had during their trip across the country so far. Yeah, that was it. She was just worrying for no reason at all.

"Rose?" Beth said.

"Yeah," Rose acknowledged, glancing sidelong to her friend.

Beth placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling comfortingly. "Are you alright now?" she asked.

Rose thought for a few moments before she looked at Beth and nodded. "Yeah, I think so," she answered, "I guess I was just freaking out for no reason. Just a little bit of the shook-ups."

Beth cocked her head and considered something for a brief second before she spoke. "Rose, I have a theory," she said, "What if your sudden mood spikes are happening because of the baby?"

Rose raised a brow. "Why should that be any surprise?"

"Rose, listen," Beth argued, gently, "In my years of pediatrics, I have never seen any spikes in aggression and … well, in your case now, paranoia until further into the pregnancy. I think that your child may be growing faster than that of a normal child; that or developing at a slower rate. Either way, such a strange change in a normal developing fetal life cycle may or may not cause such volatile mood swings."

Rose furrowed her brows and stroked her abdomen with a single hand. "So, do you think that there's a possibility of … " She trailed off and considered her next words carefully before she spoke. " … Shared emotions?"

Beth blinked in surprise. "That would be impossible at such a stage!" she nearly exclaimed.

Rose shook her head. "Lately I've been feeling these … weird sparks in my head, fragments of some kind that could be emotions. I feel sad when I have no reason to be sad at all. Happy at the weirdest shit. I feel angry when I shouldn't be … "

Beth's eyes grew wide and she stared at her up and down. "But that would be completely impossible … " she whispered, haunted.

Suddenly, Rose's head snapped up and she seemed to stare beyond Beth for a brief second before she looked over her shoulder, out toward the blackened water. Just below, a shadowed, massive shape swam silently through weeds and watery clouds of smoke. When it passed over the moonlight, Rose could visibly make out jagged scales and spines. Her eyes grew wide and she looked back toward Wesker.

"Wesker … !" she whispered, and her voice came out small, terrified.

O

Wesker has stopped the ferry long enough so that he could study the waters below them. He could not pick out signs of movement that Rose had just finished describing to him. The others had started looking around the edges of the water as well.

"I don't see anything,"

Krauser nodded his head in agreement. "You must have just seen a tree or something," he told the frantic Rose, "Happens a lot in Scotland, I hear. One minute you're alone, the next minute, you see a damn tree and think it's the creature from the deep, or something."

Rose shook her head anxiously. "No! I know what I saw!"

Suddenly, the entire ferry lurched and everyone had nearly been thrown off of their feet. Wesker managed to maintain his balance, arms extended. He looked around with surprise and met Rose's angry smile.

"I fucking told you!" she whispered, lowly.

Jonas' hands scrabbled across the metal floor, desperately looking around. "R-Rose?" he stammered, "What was that?"

Krauser hurried to the edge of the ferry and peered down into the water, just as the shape covered in scales and spines passed by beneath it. His eyes grew wide in horror and disbelief before he turned to Wesker.

"I saw it!" he told him, "You won't believe this, but it almost liked like a - - "

The ferry lurched roughly to one side, cutting him off in mid sentence as he knocked into Jonas, toppling them both to the floor. They grunted sharply and looked up at the sight of a black shadow looming over them. It was a gigantic mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Both men yelled out in terror and ducked out of the way, scrambling out of the path of snapping jaws that narrowly missed their heads. The giant shape disappeared in a heavy splash of swampy water, sending showers of it sprinkling down upon them all.

"Dude, get the lights!" Jonas shouted, as Krauser was the first onto his feet anyway.

Krauser hurried toward the main console and quickly flipped a switch, activating the massive flood lights hanging just overhead along the sides of the ferry. They bathed the entire river in a white glow as everyone cautiously stood still to await a next attack. It seemed to be quiet for a brief moment before the ferry lurched harshly and the water burst in a small explosion off to the left.

"Get moving!" Wesker commanded.

Krauser did not need to be told twice about that. He carefully activated the ferry's engines, just as something big whipped through the air. He looked up and ducked as the massive thing ripped through the top of the ferry, shredding metal from the rooftops and snapping the light posts from their flimsy metal supports, casting them into total darkness once more. Rose went to Krauser's side as he gingerly touched a small cut against the hollow of his cheek bone. His fingers had a little blood on them.

"Are you okay?" she asked, breathless, "You - - "

Krauser's eyes snapped wide and he looked up beyond her. "It's coming back!" he shouted.

Rose looked over her shoulder, just as the darkened shape reared up out of the water and grasped the side of the ferry, the weight of it causing the vessel to lean sharply to one side. Beth gave a loud yell as she was sent sliding down the slope, into a set of awaiting jaws. Her feet spread and landed onto the top and bottom, struggling to keep herself from ending up as food.

"Beth!" Rose shouted, clinging to the edge of the ferry, "Hang on!"

Beth was screaming in terror, struggling to keep her feet against the creature's jaws as it swung its head left and right, snorting hisses escaping it. She could feel its hot, foul breath against her face and arms. Rose slid down the length of the tilted ferry and grabbed Beth by the collar, tugging her away from the jaws, just as the creature reared up and roared.

"What is it?" Beth gasped, as Rose dragged her to safety, "What the fuck is it?"

"It's a goddamn croc!" Krauser shouted, watching as it released the edge of the ferry, jolting everyone in the process.

Beth's eyes grew wide and she watched the beast circling the ferry like a vulture. She could see the outlines of where its flesh had rotted away from the T - virus. Its white eyes loomed menacingly up toward her and its fleshy tendons were exposed through its cranium. "It must have escaped from the zoo ... !" she breathed, in a stunned whisper.

The crocodile turned around and it seemed to arch its back, preparing to lunge. It was an unnatural gesture for a reptile such as the crocodile; it seemed intelligent, thoughtful in its attacks, almost with an uncanny human grace. Just as it propelled forward and spread its tail, rearing to jump, Rose seemed to understand just who it was going after:

Wesker.

He was standing there, guarded yet out in the open where he could be easily picked off in one swoop. Damn him and his arrogance! He was a fresh piece of meat to this creature and Rose could hear a voice in her head begging her to save him. And it was enough to convince her to do just that, to act purely on that impulse alone. Her legs propelled forward, and then at the same time the crocodile reared up out of the water, opened its giant jaws and snatched the woman from the ferry; her left arm had been caught in between its broad set of teeth just as she was yanked down into the water.

Wesker watched this in stunned, abject horror as the crocodile carried Rose into the deep blackness of the river. He rushed to the edge and peered below to see if he could catch her in sight. He clenched his fists and shouted furiously, eyes teeming with glowing fury and shock.

"ROSE!" he bellowed. His features seemed to flicker once more with a bit of warmth for a brief second as his next words left his lips, "Not for me ... NOT FOR ME!"

The crocodile surfaced a few feet away like a thrashing dolphin, struggling with the woman in its grip. She seemed to be putting up a fight as far as Wesker could see; she kicked and punched the crocodile's eye, trying to tear its vulnerable visual organs in an attempt to blind it. Beth ran along the ferry's edge in a desperate attempt to keep Rose in sight.

"ROSE!" she shouted, desperately.

"Rose, come back here!" Jonas cried, terrified. It was a useless request, of course.

The crocodile disappeared into the water and Krauser struggled to start the ferry to keep up with the two battling revenants. Beth and Jonas rushed up to him and tried to spot Rose and the beast nearby.

" Krauser! Where is she? Can you see her?" Beth nearly shrieked.

"I'm trying! That damn thing took her down this way!" he shouted back as he gestured swiftly in front of them.

"Well fucking do something!"

The crocodile surfaced once more, screeching inhumanly and Wesker could tell that Rose had gouged its eyes out; pools of blood were oozing from both of its closed lids. Yet from what he could see, her arms was still trapped inside its teeth, gushing bright red blood as well. Her features were contorted with agony, eyes flashed bright red and yelling loudly. She may have possessed his strength and stamina, but at this rate, she could possibly go into shock from blood loss if she didn't get the upper hand soon.

Wesker quickly noticed that Beth was out over the edge of the observation platform of the ferry, her back arched in a perfect bow shape. He suddenly realized what Beth was about to do. He grabbed her by the arm inches before she was about to jump.

"WAIT!" he shouted, furiously.

Beth shouted back in terror and fury, struggling against his powerful grip. She had an excited - terrified grin on her face. "I CAN GET HER!"

"NO!"

"I KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES!"

Wesker yanked her back onto the ferry with an angry snarl. "Don't you be a fool as well!" he spat, venomously. "She can handle this! You would be no good to your _dear friend_ should you die as well!"

Beth whined with desperation and looked back out to Rose as she struggled with every ounce of strength that she had. Finally, the crocodile sank into the river and all was silent and still. Everyone waited for Rose and the crocodile to show themselves yet again, but this time, nothing happened. It was quiet once more and Beth could bear it no longer.

"_ROSE!_"she screamed.

There was no signs of Rose at all. Beth could not take her eyes off of the water as she noticed the red streaks that passed the ferry. _Rose's blood_... She looked over to Wesker, who stood as still and silent as a statue. His features were grim, hard and his jaw set in a tight, thin line. He slowly removed his glasses and peered out into the cold, dark waters.

"We have to find her!" Jonas cried, pleadingly.

Wesker seemed to snap out of his frozen state and turned to Krauser. "Ready this piece of junk and let's press forward." he commanded.

Krauser looked a little surprised himself by Wesker's seemingly lack of interest in saving Rose. He glanced back at the river, almost as if he too was concerned for the possibly severely injured woman in the water. When he didn't do as Wesker ordered, the man scowled furiously and took a threatening step forward.

"Has this river air impeded your sense of hearing?" Wesker barked, "PRESS FORWARD!"

Krauser nodded anxiously and immediately turned to the ferry controls and began to start the motor up until a low clicking sound froze him in his tracks. He glanced over at Wesker, who's eyes flickered and he smiled with a cold snort to follow. He slowly turned and came face - to - face with Beth's hand gun barrel. She looked furious, face slightly pink and eyes misting over.

"Don't start that engine up, Krauser!" she hissed, voice shaking. Her eyes landed on Wesker and they were the hardest, most fiery orbs of anger that he had ever seen in her before. "I can't believe this! Rose has done everything in her power for you, even against her better judgement! She _bled _for you! She has hurt people for you and you still think so less of her?" She sniffled then, gnawing her lower lip for a brief second. "How could you just want nothing to do with her when she is out there bleeding from an attack that was MEANT FOR YOUR SORRY ASS?"

Wesker raised his brows, a low rumble filling his throat. He inhaled deeply and his voice was calm and steady. "You certainly are a presumptuous creature, Beth Underwood," he sneered, "And yet you fail to comprehend my entire plan. I was informing Krauser to hurry and move the ferry forward so that we _may _seek Rose out. I have faith in her, which says a lot, you realize. At the most, she is possibly in great pain, but I trust that she can handle a crocodile if she could survive being stabbed by a G mutation." He tittered at her disbeliving look and leaned his head to one side. "You accuse me of thinking so less of her and having no faith; it seems that you don't have enough faith in her."

Beth lowered her weapon and exhaled heavily. So there was some hope with this man after all. He did care about Rose, but his emotions were closed off to the rest of the world. He didn't show it too much, but he had to be with her. She knew that given the situation of him saving her, there was more to it than just his own personal agenda.

O

A full moon passed behind the clouds. Thunder quietly rumbled, and jagged bolts of lightning flickered in the distance. Krauser was still at the wheel. The river was narrower here, and cautions had be taken to avoid the banks. As the ferry began to round another bend. a familiar high - pitched sound pierced the darkness. Muffled but unmistakable, it sounded like birds. Everyone exchanged a collection of mixed expressions, expecting infected flying creatures to burst from the trees and attack them. Wesker scanned the trees with his gaze.

"Keep quiet," he commanded, holding up one hand.

Krauser cut the motor, and time seemed to stop as the four stood posed for action. The ferry finished rounding the curve, and the sound seemed to stop here. The suspense was excruciating. Wesker furrowed his brows and called out into the darkness.

"ROSE!" he shouted, as loud as he could.

Beth cupped her mouth and called for her as well. Jonas followed suit and soon, Krauser did as well. A few minutes of shouting for Rose went by and then, silence followed afterwards. They looked around their vicinity for signs of movement, but they could see nothing that would connect them to their fallen comrade. In fact, it seemed that after the attack from the crocodile, the entire world just stopped. Perhaps it was the calm before the next storm, or maybe the forest itself grieved for what had happened. An abomination had happened and it was the fault of the T - virus.

Now Rose was somewhere out there, alone and wounded.

"Rose!" Wesker shouted again.

The sound merged with the gently passing wind and carried far down the river bank to where Rose was; she climbed out of the river, staggering in her steps and soaked to the marrow. Behind Rose, the dead crocodile was floating in the river, body broken in two like a tree branch. Her body ached in pain and shuddered uncontrollably from the stinging sensation in her arms and legs. Her head was spinning and the world around her slowly blurring into a pool of blackish, grey swirls.

As she attempted to rise, her body suddenly gave out; the battle with the infected beast had finally taken its toll on her. She collapsed into the dampened grass with a sharp groan of pain, her face contacting warm earth. Rose struggled to rise again, but her limbs simply would not work for her anymore and the world around ehr continued to fade into cold, empty blackness.

_Shit! ... Shit ... Get up, Rose ... Get ... up ..._

Finally, after listening to her own thoughts slowly disappear into the void of her mind, she slipped into unconsciousness.

O

_Note_-Short. I am sorry for that. LOL. My computer had a viral breakdown and went ape shit on me, so I was stuck.


	36. Chapter 36: Intensive Care I

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Intensive Care I**

_Fox Island, Mississippi _

Human-shaped shadows danced around Rose's immobile form, whispering quietly to one another, cautious about the strange woman. After a few seconds of silent contemplation, one of them spoke. They seemed wary and secretive as they analyzed the woman at their feet. The area was dangerous for them and being out here even during the day could run the risk of meeting unsavory creatures.

A shadow loomed over Rose, reaching out and touching two fingers to her throat to check for a pulse. "Hurry, get her back to the house..." a male voice whispered, carefully.

After a few minutes of silence, two sets of arms circled around Rose's shoulders and lifted her up out of the dampened earth, hoisting her onto two shoulders of men dressed in black, leather coats. They grunted as they hurried off into the trees toward a pickup truck; it was reinforced into a battle machine with a hood scoop welded to the front, spikes on the hub caps of the tires, grates on the windows and bottles of yelloish fluid wrapped up in the bed. The two men placed Rose into the bed and quickly rushed to get moving.

Rose's body bounced slightly as the truck pulled away into the swamps and further away from finding her friends.

The truck stopped in front of an electrified gate and fence. The driver honked his horn three times and after a long moment, the gates clicked and squeaked open, allowing them passage inside.

The fence traveled all around Fox Island, with the sole purpose of keeping the undead out. There was a large house that stood in size to several smaller houses around it. Small children were playing outside of their houses and their parents were keeping a close watch over them, hanging off of their porch banisters and resting on steps. There were also two - - no, three - - great Doberman Pincher hounds chained up on each house, ears at attention and nostrils high in the air.

And almost everyone held a weapon in hand.

At the sight of the pickup truck pulling in, the people seemed to react with delighted expressions. One in particular was an older woman who appeared to be in her early 60's, dressed in full hiking equipment and built pretty good for her age. This was Alma Gahns Her hair was cut short around her cheeks and lengthy around her dull, black eyes. Although aged, she gave off the appearance of being a kind woman.

"Boys!" she called, her voice rough from years of smoking, "I thought you'd never get home!"

The two men in the pickup truck and the one crouched on the truck's bed hopped down as soon as the vehicle stopped, smiling at her. They were her three sons, Alan, Caleb and Mark Gahns; battling the undead for such a short time and even prior to the apocalypse had left them equally muscular and toned from their former jobs as dock workers. All that heavy lifting of crates and bags had been worthy enough 'training' for them to take on the horrors that waited just outside those electrified gates.

Alan was the oldest of the three and even though they were equal in almost every way, he almost always spoke up before the other two. He was the brains behind the three and the command as well. The other two usually didn't complain about that as much, usually more concerned about getting the job done rather than who was in charge of it.

Alan had short brown hair and blue eyes, wearing tattered blue jeans and a ratty tank top beneath a black outback jacket. He had a scar over his cheek and one of his fingers was missing. He had lost it when he started his job at the docks; being a novice, he had gotten it caught up in one of the machines and had to have it removed. Not his brightest day, but he quickly adapted with having only four fingers on his good working hand.

Caleb was the next to the youngest of the three brothers. He resembled Alan in hair color and length, except he was a head shorter and had dark brown eyes that almost looked black. He wore a pair of tan cargo pants and a denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up over a white, stained t - shirt; he had a gun holster and belt around his chest and waist also. Caleb was the most quiet of the three Gahns brothers and rarely spoke except when he absolutely needed to. Caleb believed it work over friendship and that seemed to go well for him in life. He was an intimidating looking young man and no one enjoyed being in a room alone with him.

Mark was the youngest of them and also very quiet. He attempted to start up conversation, but despite his rugged appearance, he was actually a very shy young man. He had long brown hair that ended at his shoulders, sharp blue eyes. He had a bandana around his forehead, a loop of ammunition around his torso and he wore a black outback jacket similar to Alan's. His pants were ripped and his boots covered in muddy splotches.

"Mom, we found someone out by the river's edge," Alan told Alma - - his mother - - before looking back at his truck, "She doesn't look too good. From the looks of her wounds, I think she got into a tussle from one of those escaped crocs."

Alma's smile melted away, concerned now for the fallen woman in their pickup. She walked around to the bed and Mark immediately pulled the door down so that she could climb up into it. She knelt before Rose's limp form and reached out to touch the wounds on her arm. As soon as her flesh contacted Rose's, the torn vessels and shattered bones began to move; literally move as if they had a will of their own. Alma's eyes grew wide as she watched the fleshy, calcium filaments wriggle slightly, making sickening sticky sounds. The bones began to slowly stitch back together and the muscles overlapping one another as the regeneration process slowly began.

"Oh God ... " Alma whispered, haunted.

"Mom?" Mark said, "What is it?"

Alma quickly covered Rose's would with her jacket and turned to the boy. "Tell the others to get any medicine, food and water that they can," she ordered, "Meet up at Oluchi's house in 2 hours." She looked back down at Rose and smiled lightly. There was a knowledge and intensity in the old woman that went over the heads of her sons. "This one will have quite a story to tell us, I'm sure."

O

_"Hurry! She's waking up!"_

_"Step back a bit, give the girl some room!"_

_"Aww, come on!"_

_"She needs to breathe! Poor thing's been through hell, so don't bother her."_

There were so many unfamiliar voices around her. Rose wasn't too sure who the talking blobs were as her vision slowly came into focus. There were many faces staring down at her of every size, shape and color, ones she didn't recognize and a room that reminded her of the small shacks that could have been something from a summer camp. She blinked a bit, fighting off the dizziness that she felt to try and get some of her senses back.

"Ugh ... Where ... Where am I?" she mumbled.

"You are on Fox Island in Mississipi," Alma told her, smiling gently, "My boys pulled you up out of the water. You were in pretty bad shape but you ... " She cut herself off and decided not to let the others know just who she was and risk frightening them all. After all, Oluchi would have a perfect idea and he would share it with them in a way that would ease their already troubled minds.

Two little boys were watching her and grinned. One of them poked Rose's cheek and tilted his head with fascination. He seemed to be interested in her eyes and why they were the way they were. Rose flinched at the touch and uttered a weak grunt of pain. She felt sensitive all over and every bone in her body ached from wrestling the crocodile.

Alma took the boy's hand and scowled down at him. "It's rude to point, Jeremy!" she barked.

Rose managed to smile and held up one hand. "No, no, it's okay," she assured her, in a weary whisper, "He's not bothering me." She met the boy - - Jeremy's - - gaze. "I'm just really sore from wrestling a crocodile. I think I even swallowed some of its blood ... "

Jeremy's eyes grew wide in amazement and immediately, so did the other child's. "Whoa!" he gasped, "How was it?"

Rose flashed a grin now. "VERY bitter and a little bit like stale vegetable juice," she joked, "I wouldn't recommend it."

The two boys looked at each other and giggled at the joke. Alma pushed them off of the side of the bed that Rose laid in. "Alright now you little vultures!" she barked, "Go and get back to your folks before I take my foot to your tails!"

They took off, squealing and the others in the room seemed to hesitate, whispering to one another about what they saw in the woman laying there. Her eyes had frightened them somewhat and they didn't know exactly what to make of her. Was she the enemy? Was she a mutation of some kind? They didn't know entirely until Alma and Oluchi would figure it out.

"Hey! You guys should hurry up and get Oluchi here!" Alma told them, sternly. "Don't worry about her. She ain't gonna bite ya'." After considering what she had just said, she looked over at Rose with a bit of caution. "You won't bite, right?"

Rose looked a little insulted. "No."

Alma smiled and it seemed to Rose that she was trying to convince her friends that she wouldn't hurt them. She was a nice old woman considering she didn't even know a thing about her. Rose found herself liking her already. She watched the other people inside the room slowly disband and struggled into a sitting position. As soon as she moved, Alma immediately stepped to her side.

"Hon, I suggest you get some rest," she advised, "Even though you healed a good bit of it, your body hasn't fully recovered."

Rose stared at her, frowning. "How'd - - "

"It's okay, dear," Alma assured her, smiling tenderly, "Oluchi is a good friend of mine. Got me a damn good job when I lost mine at Umbrella after the company's fall. I know what I see." She patted Rose on the back and felt the woman tense up. "But it's okay. I'm clean. You have nothing to worry about with me." She inhaled and looked up, her eyes focusing somewhere into the past. "It was hard doing what I did, even if it was just a small time job. It was even harder escaping that life and dodging the head hunters of the corporation, but Oluchi helped me and I'm pretty sure that he can help you."

Rose knew that she had to meet this Oluchi now. Hopefully, this woman was right and he could help her. But then again, he could also be working for Spencer and everyone here not even realize it. Whatever the case was, she'd have to be on her guard and find a way to get back to her friends again.

_El Dorado, Arkansas_

_BSAA Headquarters_

The small headquarters was erupting with activity and chaos as everyone struggled to trace the signal from the strange broadcast. Ivan and his comrades followed Claire and Leon, inquiring about just what they would do in this situation.

"I don't know what to tell you guys." Claire told Ivan, "It looks like once we track down this asshole, we're gonna take him out."

Ivan shook his head and looked at her gravely. "Do not," he said, softly, "Is what he wants ... "

Claire chuckled. "Well, then we're gonna give him what he wants."

Ivan glanced both ways, making sure no one could hear before he leaned in close to her, whispering. "Spencer is clever..." he whispered, warily, "He calls for us to come, but we resist. We can't resist it for long."

Claire's brow furrowed in deep thought and watched as Leon ducked into a restroom, checking each and every stall before he removed his PDA and watched the small hourglass appear before Ingrid Hunningan's features lit the screen.

_"Leon. How ya' holding up?"_ she asked.

He raised a brow. "Bad question, Hunningan."

She smiled sympathetically. _"Sorry to hear that ... " _she replied,

Leon looked up, listening to voices outside of the bathroom before he spoke. "Hunnigan, I have some bad news," he told her, "I've received confirmation regarding Project W. Looks like Ada's tip was right after all."

_"Leon, you have to get out of there..." _Hunningan whispered, glancing over her shoulder for a brief moment, _"It's become difficult over here. Ben and I are hiding out in the van, but we can't stay in one place too long. Whatever you can dig up will help a lot." _

Leon looked a little concerned. "You're okay though, right?"

She nodded her head, a tired look crossing her features for a brief second. _"I'm fine,"_ she answered, _"There was a male civilian here who had some useful information about an Umbrella base located somewhere in Louisiana. According to him, it could have some information for us. He's a little bit of a shady older fellow. Maybe you can get the BSAA to check it out. I'll send coordinates as soon as I can."_

Leon nodded. "Alright, take care of yourself, Hunningan," he said, "I'll keep in touch. You do the same." He clicked the PDA off and turned in time to see Claire standing there. "Claire."

She folded her arms across her chest and walked over to him, her brows raised. "Leon. Are you going to trust me enough to fill me in on your little plan?" she asked.

He sighed. "I wish I could, Claire," he told her, "But it's not a matter of trust, it's a matter of safety."

"I hardly think it matters anymore," she pointed out, skeptically, "We need to know anything that we can to fix what has happened. Ivan's been worried about something, something regarding Project W." She paused and shook her head, trying to sound realistic. "He's afraid that he won't be able to resist some 'call' or something."

Leon looked thoughful for a moment, murmuring once before he stepped out of the bathroom with Claire following behind. They passed Chris, who was carrying an open laptop in his arms. Jill slowly joined his side. On the tiny screen was Josh and Sheva moved around in the background, talking to someone that they couldn't see.

_"It's become a real mess over here at the African Branch, Chris,"_ Josh told him, _"But I think I managed to scrap up some useful information about this Rose Bedford and the part that she plays in all of this." _

Chris looked particularly relieved. Best news he heard all day.

"Go ahead."

Josh typed a few keys and brought up another screen, covering his face. It looked like an older Umbrella transfer document. As far as Chris could tell, it was listing a few names and numbers of possible test subjects to be transferred to particular places around the world. Rose's name was there as well, but there was a large CANCELLED stamp right in front of it.

_"Rose Bedford's name is on the list," _Josh said, _"She was scheduled for transfer 20 years ago to Umbrella's European Branch, but it was cancelled. It took a while to dig up the old files, but it states in a memo here that she was taken to live in Atlantic City instead. She would have been 2 years old by then. Here, read this." _

He brought up another image. This one was of an official fax paper that was originally sent to Ozwell E. Spencer.

**Date: Sep. 18, 1987**

**To: Raccoon City Umbrella Division**

**Attn: Manager of Facilities**

**From: Atlantic City Research Department**

**Test subject: BEDFORD, L. ROSE Age: 2 DOB: 1985**

**Admission date: 2/17/87 Attending Physician: ALEX W.**

**3/14 22:00 Administered Virus: Type-B **

**NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF MUTATION**

**Plasmolyzing of tissue during cell activation. **

**Virus fusion: Positive but delayed fusion. **

**Body modification: Observed constant results. **

**Status: Continue protective observation. **

_**The contents of this fax are confidential and intended for the named addressee only. Any copying, or disclosure of the contents of this fax to any third party is strictly forbidden by the sender. After reading the contents of this fax, must be destroyed immediately. **_

_Sept. 18th 1987_

_Time is not of the essence, you realize as Albert's observation must continue as well. Close observation is necessary under a third party eye for Rose Lenore Bedford, notably Charles Bedford, who has taken interest in the child. He had to have some regard for her, given that she had received his surname in the process._

_I suggest, with your permission that Charles assume the role of her father for now, allow for her to adapt to a normal society like the other subjects had with everything that she will need upon adulthood._

_Her body has counteracted the injections, which may have positive results for the future. I do, however question the chipping procedure that you had suggested. But perhaps there could be a plus to it. _

Chris gave Jill a strange look before Josh removed the image from the screen. His features looked grim and somewhat exhausted.

_"It does not stop there, Chris,"_ he told him, _"I discovered another fax from this Alex W. It regards the satellite and Project Genesis."_ He turned to his other console and began to type in more keys. _"Spencer and Alex both had some documents written up about their plan. Take a look at this."_ And with that, he brought up a new image of a document that almost looked like a letter. A handwritten one by Spencer. Chris could tell that his handwriting had gotten a little terrible since he had seen his memoirs written at the mansion a long time ago.

I have done everything Alex has asked of me.

Alex's ingenuity far surpasses those of normal people.

We wait for the appropriate time, gather the necessary

materials, and Alex continues to keep the operation

running smoothly.

Most children are held back by the limits of their own

intellect, but not with Alex. I've never witnessed

anyone so adept at absorbing the talents of others simply by

observing them.

I could not be more pleased. Alex displays superior

quantities to everyone else.

I've provided everything Alex and the other researchers

would need to conduct their research; unlimited funding,

top-of-the-line equipment, research materials, and an

endless supply of test subjects. The only thing wanting

is time.

He tells me that all that needs to come to pass is for Albert and

Rose to meet one another and assume the roles that they are

destined to play: The mother and father of my new world with me as

their God. Hm. Even Albert as king would have no other choice

but to kneel to me.

Rose is almost the perfect woman in every way; she possesses the intellect

that would make Einstein himself shudder. Alex tells me that she has not

suffered illnesses of any kind, no physical flaws and she has almost perfect

cellular structure; an excellent tool for breeding my perfect children.

I laugh out loud, in spite of myself when I consider how perfect she would be

for Albert. Of course, he would have to accept her first.

Once Alex tests the samples of his blood, we will see for sure of she

can receive the injection. As soon as Alex makes an improvement to the

virus, the team administers it to another batch of test subjects,

Unfortunately, they do not have time to study the virus

before testing it. If it looks feasible, they proceed

forward and see how the test subjects react to it.

All of this is to be expected I suppose. It's not Alex's

fault.

I waited in earnest for good tidings of their research.

Instead I received only a phone call a month later asking

me to send more test subjects. How was it possible that

they had gone through hundreds of test subjects in only

a month?

As my frustration rose, Alex attempted to reassure me.

"You'll be pleased to hear that all experiments are

running smoothly."

And so I continue to wait ...

_"It is a real problem,"_ Josh said, interrupting Chris before he could finish, _"You have already met this Rose Bedford on the road, haven't you?"_

Chris nodded, frowning. "Yeah, but she and Wesker weren't exactly enjoying each other's company. I don't think that we have to worry about them making any children any time soon."

_"We cannot be too certain, Chris,"_ Josh told him, _"We have to be absolutely sure. A child from two beings like that could bring danger to us all. We have to prevent this from happening."_

And just how did he expect Chris to do that?

_Fox Island, Mississipi_

Rose finally found the strength to walk out of that cramped, depressing room. She wandered around the outside, observing her surroundings. It reminded her a lot of summer camp now that she had gotten a good look. The electric fence was a strange touch, but she had a suspicion that she knew why it was there in the first place. Everyone seemed wary and cautious of her and attempted to hide their stares when she wound look at them.

"They seem friendly," she murmured, glancing over at Alma.

"Ah, don't worry too much about them," Alma answered, "When we take in strays, sometimes they try to bite the hand that feeds 'em, if you catch my drift." She led Rose toward the largest house situated at the center of the island.

Rose nodded in acknowledgement. Well, that would give them any good reason to be afraid of her.

"Well, who do I talk to?" she asked, "Who's this Oluchi you keep mentioning?"

Alma smiled and didn't look at her. "You'll see."

She walked into the house - - the door was open - - and Rose followed her. There was a heavy smell of burning incense and oils in the air and she could even make out a stale, salty smell as well. There were various crates and boxes of food and ammunition lying against the walls. There were even a few boxes of weapons of every shape and size. Wow, these people sure had a lot of goods with them. They had to have prepared for the coming apocalypse and even more, known about it. But then again, this woman had been an Umbrella employee so that didn't surprise her.

"Oluchi?" Alma called, stepping into the living room.

Rose noticed that no one was here and she couldn't resist looking around the expansive living room. The windows were covered with thin, white curtains and there were piles upon piles of books everywhere, some lying open to specific pages. There was a thick bear-skin rug and a few deer-head trophies lining the walls. A fire crackled in a cherry oak fireplace.

Alma caught that look and smiled sheepishly. "Yes, it's quite messy in here," she said, "Oluchi just picks up a book and can never put it down once he starts reading it." She hesitated before she disappeared down the hall to find this man called Oluchi.

Rose watched her go before she approached the roaring fire and raised her hands to it. She shut her eyes and exhaled with contentment. That felt amazing against her skin. For a brief moment, she relished the feeling until a memory of her burning house and Kirk's burning body snapped through her head. Her eyes opened rapidly with a quick gasp and she backed away from the fireplace.

"You look upset ... "

Rose turned at the deep, kind voice and came face-to-face with a man sitting in a wheelchair. He was an African American gentleman with short hair and gentle green eyes. She had to keep her gaze to his face to prevent herself from staring because he had no legs. They ended at stubs at the knees. The chair that he sat in looked very old, bits of dirt and mud stuck in them.

"Um ... hi," Rose greeted, "You must be Oluchi."

He smiled and nodded. "I am." After a moment he reached out one hand for her to shake. "Oluchi Yeboah. Hail from West Africa."

Now that he spoke, Rose did notice the accent in his voice. She shook his hand and cocked her head. There was something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she decided that she already like him too. He was kind in his approach and very polite. This was just something that she was not all too accustomed to these days.

"I'm Rose ... " she began.

"I know who you are," Oluchi interrupted. He chuckled, embarrassed by his rudeness and retracted his hand from hers. "Forgive me. It's not proper to interrupt a lady when she is speaking. I was just so thrilled to hear that you have finally come."

Rose frowned thoughtfully. "How do you know about me?"

Oluchi wheeled himself toward the flames to get warm. "Now that is a loaded question, Miss Bedford," he murmured, smiling gently, "No matter how I answer you, you would find my view to be very ... disturbing and almost a means of a threat to your existence, won't you?"

Rose tried not to make it too obvious, but yeah, she would have found it a trifle uncertain. After all, how many people had she run into so far who knew her name and everything about her who had it in them to kill her? Oluchi faced her and she smiled weakly, trying not to make what he had just said so very obvious that it was the truth.

"Well ... you could just explain and we'll try and go from there," Rose offered, leaning back a bit.

Oluchi tilted his head a bit, wondering what to think of that answer before he spoke. "You have come across many Wesker's in your journey, haven't you?" he asked, turning in his wheelchair to roll over toward his piles of books.

"Um. Yeah, we have."

Oluchi smiled and took a book, paging through it without looking at her. "Well, you can go ahead and add another one to your list, today, Miss Bedford," he told her, "I am Oluchi Yeboah, the African Wesker child."

Rose's brows went up slightly and she watched as he turned to face her. She licked her lips before speaking. "Uh ... What happened to your ... ?" she began, gesturing vaguely to her own legs, trying to make it seem not as rude as she could.

Oluchi glanced down at his own legs for a brief, silent moment before he looked up at her. "Come ... Follow me." he said, rolling out of the room and into the hallway.

Rose slowly followed behind him down the hallway.

"I was just a little boy, a ripe age of 12 years," Oluchi began, "My doctor had told me that it was a flu shot, to keep me healthy. I don't recall his name, however, but I think he was called ... Alex."

Rose furrowed her brow. She considered the name for a second before she looked at him with surprise. "Wait ... I had a doctor named Alex when I was a little girl as well!" she exclaimed, "Do you think that there's some kind of weird connection or something?"

Oluchi smiled. "I do." He pulled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door to retrieve a glass bottle of yellow lemonade. He offered one to Rose and she took it without hesitation. "You see, Miss Bedford, I had grown up receiving these shots and it looked to be a great thing for me. I never got sick and I was as healthy as a horse - - pardon the pun. Years went by and I soon fell ill. After months of being cast to my bed, my legs had begun to fail me. Eventually, I had to have them amputated and I was confined to a wheelchair." He chuckled, as if it didn't bother him in the slightest. "But that would never stop me from wanting to go the distance."

Rose lightly smiled. So he was a good man after all. Maybe he could help her.

O

_Note_- The letter that Spencer had written was based off of his memoirs from the fifth game that I edited a bit.


	37. Chapter 37: Intensive Care II

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Intensive Care II**

_Fox Island, Mississippi _

Rose wanted to find her friends as soon as possible, but she had no idea of how to contact them with the little resources that she had. They must have still been looking for her nearest the river's edge. Knowing Beth, she was probably giving Wesker verbal hell about finding her. As she sat on the porch of Oluchi's house, she watched and observed the children at play. It was hard to imagine how they had survived in this hell hole. Then again, she couldn't underestimate the opportunities that these people had with being friends with a Wesker child. After all, he had known about the virus and helped them.

"Hey."

Rose looked up at the sight of Alan standing there with his hands full of snack bags. He was smiling at her and offering a bag of potato chips while he placed the other bags down onto the porch. She gingerly took them and nodded once in appreciation at the gesture. She had been craving something salty lately. Ironic considering she had swallowed nothing but salty water and crocodile blood on the drift here.

"Thanks." she said.

Alan took a spot beside her and tilted his head, studying her slit, orange-red eyes with fascination. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when she had gotten the bag of chips open and started eating them. Rose didn't really catch his staring until she paused in between chewing to look over at him. Her eyes narrowed and he watched a sort of yellow swirling within the iris.

"You got some kind of an eye problem, pal?" she asked, annoyed.

Alan wavered somewhat and shook his head. "Uh ... n - no," he stammered, "I - I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I just ... your eyes ..."

Rose rolled her eyes skeptically. "Yeah, yeah, I know; you're trying to tell me that they're soooo 'different'." She spoke the last word in a low, mocking tone and tittered, opening her mouth to take another bite of her handful of chips.

"No ... " Alan interjected, "They're ... They're kind of beautiful."

Rose's hand froze inches over her mouth and her throat tightened slightly before she spoke, glaring at him with a strange frown on her face. She didn't know whether to feel insulted or surprised by the comment.

"Get the fuck outta here ... " she muttered.

Alan smiled and raised two hands in the air. "No, no. I'm serious!" he said, "They make you look kind of ... well, I dunno ... " He considered what it was she looked like to him without sounding insulting to her. After all, he felt a little afraid of what she was truly capable of. "... A little like some kind of a feral cat. It's kind of a good look for you."

Like a feral cat? Rose grinned at the line. She now had an understanding as to why he had started up the conversation with her to begin with. He was flirting with her a little bit. He had a bit of an infatuation with her. Not to sound too arrogant, but even when she scented the air a bit, she could smell a change in his body temperature; a stirring of his hormones.

"Like it or not, I'm sort of with somebody, alright?" Rose told him, chuckling softly, "He's an asshole and a dick to me and to my friends, but he's gotta be good for something if I'm carrying his child."

Alan looked floored and scooted back a few paces from her in surprise. He hadn't expected to learn that kind of news. "You're pregnant?" he said, in stunned disbelief.

"Yup." Rose made a popping sound through her mouth at the 'p' of the word 'yep'.

Alan sat there in silence, thinking about what she told him for a few moments before he looked up at her, eyes filled with a small bit of pity. "He doesn't want the child, does he?"

Rose exhaled and her eyes glimmered over for a brief second before she spoke, her voice tense and harsh with bitterness. "It doesn't really matter to me what he wants," she told him, "I am keeping it. If I have to spend day after day of this baby's life dodging zombies and monsters just to feed him and give him what he needs, then I'll do it."

Alan smiled at her and for a moment, there was admiration in his eyes. Finally, he stood up and shook his head. "This isn't right," he told her, "You can't live like that. You can stay here with us! We'll take care of you and your child!" Rose smiled at him skeptically and he continued, trying to persuade her further at how much better a life that this was for her and her child. "Look, I can talk to Oluchi and see if he can let you stay in his place! It'll be fine! You don't have to go back to that kind of life."

Rose sighed and stood up, considering his words. Sure, she could duck in cover and hide in here like the rest of them. She didn't disagree and found it to be a pretty nice way to live. They were surviving and keeping the children safe from harm. A part of her thought that this would be a good idea for her and her child. But that just wasn't who she was anymore. She couldn't turn tail and run when her friends needed her.

"Look, it's a nice idea as it is," Rose replied, "Trust me, you guys sure do have a pretty good setup here. But I can't just turn around and hide because it suits me. I have to find my friends and the bastard behind all of this. I'm going to Raccoon City."

Alan stared at her, pained and crushed by her decision. She turned and walked back into the house to find Oluchi, leaving him alone, angry and very confused with everything.

O

Oluchi turned several pages of a folder before he handed it to Rose. The documents seemed to be very old in appearance, the folder weathered and torn on a few ends. Rose had never really had any acute knowledge of Umbrella or anything regarding the company, but he had several papers here. Knowing the reasoning, he must have stolen them.

"Did you steal these?" she asked, raising a brow and cracking a small smile.

"Heaven's no," Oluchi remarked, smiling at her, "Stealing implies ownership. When the time came for them to apprehend me and send me back here to America, I merely recovered what would be useful to take care of myself and others without their basic knowledge."

Rose grinned at him and chuckled, shaking her head before she glanced down at one of the papers inside the folder. There were a list of 13 names there and Wesker's name was there as well. Of course, his first name. Now that she thought about it, these names had been listed in the diary that Jonas had taken from her house before it had gone up in smoke. There hadn't been much information regarding these named, however. She had never even heard of them before from the others.

**Test Subjects**

_001: Hans _

_002: Felicia _

_003: Marco _

_004: Jonah _

_005: Irma _

_006: Ken _

_007: Laura _

_008: William _

_009: Hiro _

_010: Derek _

_011: Miles _

_012: Alex _

_013: Albert _

"What are these names for?" she asked.

"The 13 of the second generation of Wesker children," Oluchi explained, "They were a second chance at attempting to create the superior breed of humans after we had all but failed. Your name is not on the list because of your situation and the time. Unfortunately, Alex could not place you on the list due to your dormant state. He could not judge whether or not you were a successful specimen or a failure."

Rose felt her hands shaking and her lips tightening together. She relaxed for a second before she glanced at Oluchi. "I guess that we've all made our share of mistakes here," she said, "We were both wrong in this. Wesker and myself."

Oluchi smiled kindly at her and offered another folder. "It is only human to make mistakes, Miss Bedford," he reminded her, "and a small part of you is still very human, the best part."

Rose chuckled softly and shook her head. "Hah. Try telling that to Wesker." she muttered.

Oluchi's brow knotted at the remark and he made a tsking sound in between his teeth. "Oh my, you judge too easily," he told her, "You will learn eventually and so will he. The child that grows within you is no threat to him or to anyone else."

Rose cocked her head and uttered a scoff. Some things couldn't stay sacred around here, that was painfully obvious. "That weird fish - smelling guy talked to you, didn't he?"

Oluchi chuckled at her words and nodded. "Ah. Alan's heart is in the right place, Miss Bedford," he replied, "He admires you in many ways beyond just his own infatuation with you. You are something greater than they are through viral means and you do not possess the will to take the lives of others. Yet, you have the ability to do so with little effort. He finds it very interesting and so do I."

Rose frowned at him. "You believe that I'd do that?"

"Of course I don't," Oluchi told her, reassuringly. His brows formed wrinkles around the edges. "But that is not up to me." He inhaled slightly and rolled his way over toward a desk in the corner. He delicately pushed aside a Holy Bible to retrieve some important papers and Rose caught the action. Huh. A Bible. How very quaint for one to turn to religion in such a dark hour.

"Oh, I get it ... " she murmured, half amused, "You're the kind of guy who puts everything to chance; to the hope that God might come down and save us all from the nightmares that we ourselves create." She chuckled and shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. "Oh I've hear this ol' tale before. Trust me, it can get real disappointing in the long run."

Oluchi stared at her with a glimmer of pity for such a bitter response. But he was not one to willingly push religion or any beliefs onto others. That was not the way to be and certainly not the way God would want it to be.

"Miss Bedford, have you ever tried to seek out faith amid such chaos today?" he asked, "It can help us all keep our hope, our will to survive, and our families together."

Rose thought about it for a brief moment before she shook her head. "I've had a few times where I tried to open the Bible and read it when I'd have myself a bad day," she admitted, "Every time I'd try to read the Bible ... and Jesus ... the one with all the words highlighted in red ... I open my Bible to that New Testimony section and see all that red and I just give up. Jesus was just talking way too much."

Oluchi chuckled quietly. "Ahh. I see," he murmured, "Well, we all find our own faith in different things, I suppose." He paused for a moment. "What do you have faith in?"

Rose thought about it before she answered. "My friends."

O

The two children, Jeremy and Scott followed Rose as she hurried toward the pickup truck. She didn't spot them while Alan loaded her up with weaponry and food in the bed. He seemed a little harsh in his movement and somewhat cold as well. Rose didn't care. She had to find her friends and there was nothing in the world that would stop her from that, especially not some lovesick dock worker.

"Alright," Alan finally said lowly, after all was packed up, "The nearest radio tower is in Tunica. I've given you several objects that will give you a hand, but it's all I can offer you."

Rose nodded once and her brows knotted in disgust. So it was all just to make himself look good, huh? Well, that was no skin off her nose, then. "Oh yeah?" she murmured, slightly edged with anger, "Well, I can only thank you for the less-than-genuine help, but I really have to get going. The sooner that I hit the road, the better."

Alan considered her words before he held up one hand, looking a little apologetic this time. "W - Wait, I didn't mean it like - - "

"I know what you meant." Rose replied, hopping into the driver's seat of the truck. She slammed the door shut, nearly crushing his fingers in the process. Sitting at her side was the folders that Oluchi had given her. She gave Alan one last hard look before she started up the engine, taking no notice to the two children in the back. "See ya'." She thought about it before she added sarcastically. "Or maybe not. Let's hope for not."

Alan watched in surprise as the truck slowly pulled away, out through the opened doors of the electrified gate and into the swamps. He exhaled with dismay and slouched his shoulders.

"Damn ... " he murmured, to himself.

While Rose rode through the swamp, she fingered around for something on the seat and it fell onto the floor. Uttering an annoyed, 'dammit', she bent over to get it and the heads of the two children slowly rose from a tarp that covered her things. They giggled and covered their mouths, delighted with the idea that they were hitching a ride with someone as cool as she was.

Rose fingered with the can of soda with one fingernail, trying to open it while she was driving before she suddenly sensed something and looked over her shoulder, just as the kids ducked down. Furrowing her brow and then shrugging it off, she returned her gaze to the road, not knowing that she carried the two little passengers with her.

_Tunica_

Rose stopped the pickup truck in front of a casino labeled FITZGERALD'S CASINO and stepped out, sighing once and rolling her eyes toward the bed of the truck. She chuckled, shaking her head and slowly walked toward the back, yanking the tarp aside. The two boys looked up at her and gave quick yelps of surprise. Rose arched one eyebrow sternly and put one hand on her hip.

"Um ... hi." Jeremy said, meekly.

"I take it that nobody knows you're here?" Rose guessed. The two boys slowly shook their heads and she sighed, muttering a low 'great' before she gestured with one hand. "Alright, get out of the truck, both of you."

The two boys slowly and reluctantly climbed out of the truck bed, looking up at Rose sheepishly. She stared down at them sternly for a few seconds before she relaxed and exhaled.

"What were you two thinking?" she asked, harshly, "You could have been killed and I never even know about it! I'm going to call your parents as soon as I can get to a radio across the street."

Scott groaned in protest. "Aww, come on!"

"No fair!" Jeremy added.

Rose glared down at them as she rounded the truck to grab a loaded handgun from the bed on the other side. "Don't you even argue with me!" she snapped, "I can't have your blood on my hands." She clicked the weapon into its proper place and gestured for them to follow at her side. "Just stay close to me and keep away from the buildings, okay?"

The two boys did as she said, sticking close to her as they rushed across the empty streets toward a radio station up ahead. They stared up at Rose, watching her focused, determined gaze and then, glanced at one another, whispering low to themselves, not really thinking that she was perfectly capable of hearing every single thing that they said.

"This bites, man ... " Jeremy mumbled.

"You said it," Scott agreed, "I thought she was cool. She's just like our folks. Always telling us what's too dangerous for us." He exhaled quietly. "We're gonna be so busted when we get back."

Rose glanced back at the miserable children before she sighed and rolled her eyes. Dammit. Her own damn guilt was beginning to wear away at her. Oh well, they'd have to deal with disappointment as children. Lord only knew that she was adept at it.

"Don't give me any crap, okay?" she told them, her voice gentle this time, "It's for the best for you two. Now come on ... "

They stepped into the radio station, Rose's gun pointing at every location before she spotted several radio equipment in a room across the hallway from her. With a bright smile, she walked toward the room with the children at her side. As soon as she stepped into the room, a red - pink form jumped out at her from the ceiling with a shriek. The Licker.

Rose backed away with a sharp cry and grasped the thing by its jaws, holding it tightly as it thrashed and shrieked, trying to break free and reach her and the boys standing behind her. Its tongue lashed out like a knife and she grabbed it with her other hand swiftly before it could penetrate her skull. With a fierce yell, she yanked the tongue clean out of its mouth, sending a shower of blood onto her face. The Licker screamed in mortal agony and she took that chance to sever its head clean in half with one broad, swift sweep of her hand.

The two boys glanced down at the corpse of the Licker and grinned broadly.

"AWESOME!" Jeremy cried, delighted.

"You tore its tongue out of its mouth!" Scott added, giggling like a little fan boy.

Rose couldn't resist a smile of pride at their praise. At least the kids thought that her abilities and her inhuman strength weren't what made her a freak of nature. It almost felt good to hear that from the boys. "Yeah, cool, huh?" she said, walking over to the radio and switching on every available switch to start it up. "Alright, let's see here ... "

Rose removed a scrap of paper from her coat pocket and began to tune the radio dial to the appropriate setting for Alan's radio back on Fox Island. She could barely make out a filter of static before pressing down on the SPEAK button.

"Alan?" she said, "Hey, you there? Pick up. Come on."

After a brief moment of waiting for a response, Alan's voice filled the air. _"Rose? Rose, I'm here," _he announced, a bit too excitedly for her, and she gave the boy's a funny look, _"What's wrong? Are you alright?"_

Rose pressed SPEAK. "Nothing's wrong," she told him, "Cool your jets there, cowboy. It seems like on the way up here, I picked up a few stowaways on the way here into Tunica. Scott and Jeremy are here with me." She gave the boy's a wink and they relaxed from their uneasy expressions. "I was wondering if you could send somebody out here to pick them up."

She waited for a long moment before Alan's voice filled the air, horrified and enraged. _"The boys are there?" _he exclaimed, _"You tell them that there parents are over here freaking out about this! They are in deep shit when we pick them up!" _Rose flinched slightly at the volume of his tone and drew her head back with a half - amused, half - surprised look. _"They are in deep trouble, I can promise them that! I'll be there in a half an hour! Meet you at the radio station! Alan out."_

Finally, only static greeted Rose on the other end. She gave the two uneasy boys a smile and placed the small microphone down. "I ... take it you boys caught all of that?"

They nodded meekly.

O

Despite Rose's reluctance to indulge, she took the two boys to an ice cream shop. She had to shoot down a few zombies in the process, but she managed to make them the biggest ice cream bowls that she could and a small cone for herself. They waited for Alan in front of the radio station while Rose kept a close eye on everything around them. She smiled, watching the boys enjoy their ice cream.

"I don't get it," Scott said, looking up at her, "We got in trouble and probably got you in trouble too. How come you went out of your way to get us ice cream?"

Rose chuckled and licked her ice cream. "I guess I wanted to show you that I ain't all that bad," she told them, "I'm gonna be having a child of my own and I think I just need some practice at it."

"You're gonna be a mom?" Jeremy said, grinning.

"Yeah."

"Aww, is it a boy or a girl?" Scott asked, poking Rose's abdomen with one finger.

Rose flashed a smile. "I don't really know at the second considering it looks like an over - sized tadpole right now," she joked, ruffling the boy's head once and nudging him aside.

The two boys giggled at her joke. "Maybe you should call the baby tadpole!" Scott joked, laughing.

Rose rolled her eyes up to the sky with a grin on her face. Oh God, these kids were a laugh. While she and the children sat alone, eating their frozen snacks, she didn't notice the familiar RV pulling up into the small town, passing behind the radio station. Inside, Beth was arguing with Jonas about which direction to turn and Krauser was at the wheel, getting more and more frustrated with them by the second.

"When you talk, all I hear is 'wah - wah - wah'!" Jonas shouted.

Beth snarled and pushed his shoulder. "That's your goddamn brain cells popping!"

"Could you two pencil pushing dicks shut up so I can think?" he barked, furiously at them. "If you picked up the radio signal in this damn town, we'll find her! Just let me drive!"

Beth and Jonas looked surprised by his outburst, but then, they relaxed and sighed heavily. Beth walked to the back of the RV where Wesker was, picking through a box of weapons.

"Aren't you even the slightest bit concerned for her safety?" she asked.

"No," he answered, quietly, "She is unharmed and in good health, I can promise you that. The more time that we waste worrying about the 'what if', the more time we can spend on finding her."

Beth couldn't argue with that. It was becoming a very unfortunate thing knowing that Wesker knew her more than even she did. Well, he may have known her physical well being, but he would never know her for what she really was. Beth didn't understand why Wesker constantly treated Rose like garbage and why Rose continued to tolerate it.

Maybe it would be something to ask them both later on.

Krauser stopped the RV at a corner and everyone rushed out, weapons locked and loaded. As soon as they rounded the street corner, Beth spotted Rose there on the sidwalk. She grinned broadly and cupped her mouth.

"ROSE!" she shouted.

Beth watched Rose's head jerk upwards in surprise at the sound of her name being called, watched shock register on her features as she looked around for the source of the voice. Finally, she spotted Beth rushing up to her. She grinned widely and stood up, just as Beth threw her arms around her. The two boys backed up slightly at the sight of the three strange men walking slowly up to them.

"Oh God, you're alright!" Beth cried, happily.

Rose smirked at her. "It takes more than some scaly animal to take me out."

Beth giggled and it was almost embarrassing, but she didn't care. She hugged Rose tightly for a few moments more before she parted to allow Jonas to hug her as well. Rose smiled happily, glad to have been reunited with her friends. She went to hug Krauser and he held up one hand at her.

"Sorry, don't do hugs." he told her.

Rose smirked and raised a brow. "Tough guy, huh?" she remarked.

Krauser tittered at her remark. "You know it."

Rose chuckled, rolling her eyes before she got to Wesker. For a brief moment, neither of them said or did anything, save for staring at one another. After a moment, Wesker spoke.

"You risked your life to save mine." he murmured.

Rose nodded.

"Don't do it again." Wesker said, and it sounded harsher.

Rose laughed at that and exhaled. "Just like you, eh?" she muttered, "I bet you didn't even shed a single tear when I was gone, didn't you?" When he shook his head, she chuckled. She didn't even seem bothered by the fact. She was just in too good of a mood today; seeing her friends alive and in one piece was enough for her. "Didn't think so."

O

Rose returned to Fox Island with the boys and Alan in tow. Everyone seemed relieved to see them back safe and sound and they even showered Rose with praise for her return. She had never expected that she'd be missed. Krauser, Beth and Jonas seemed to be smiling at the people there, but as usual, Wesker didn't seem very thrilled. Oluchi rolled out of his house to greet them with a tender wave of his hand.

"Pleasure to meet the friends of Miss Bedford," he said, "You are welcome to stay as long as you need to."

Wesker frowned. "Thanks for the offer, but we cannot stay for too long," he replied, "We must be going." He chuckled softly and there was a bit of sarcasm in his tone. "But I bet that you already knew where we were going, didn't you?"

Oluchi smiled calmly. "You don't have to be concerned about me, Albert," he told him, "I am not your enemy and neither is her child." He gestured to Rose with one hand.

Wesker's eyes flashed and his voice was filled with menace. "That's none of your damn business!" he nearly shouted.

Oluchi furrowed his brow before he smiled at Rose and the others. "Why don't you help yourself into the kitchen?" he offered, "I have plenty of food for you. I am certain that you must be famished by now."

They grinned and nodded in acknowledgement, walking into the house. Rose hesitated for a moment, watching Wesker and Oluchi before she too disappeared into the house. Oluchi turned to Wesker and the man had his teeth bared at him. He wasn't bothered by it in the slightest. Even though Wesker was a man to fear, Oluchi had no fear.

"What has she told you?" he demanded.

Oluchi shrugged his shoulders. "Just enough for a clever man, Albert," he replied, quietly, "Tell me, why do you not want your child? Why is it so difficult for you to be the man that she needs right now?"

Wesker tittered cruelly. "Such presumption from one confined in a chair!" he sneered, "I think ol' Ozwell was the same way!" He took a threatening step forward. "Shall I allow you the benefit of living his greatest experience at his end?"

Oluchi gazed up at him with a calmed smile. "Albert, would you like to know the reason why you feel that you need her?"

"I need no one ... "

Oluchi chuckled. "Indeed so," he remarked, "But really now, Albert; the day of your ... physical consummation ... Did you feel anything different about yourself? Did you sense that you needed her more than anything in the world?"

Wesker thought about it and for a second, he considered the idea to be rather ludicrous. He? Albert Wesker? Need anyone? It was presumptuous to think of such a thing and he was going to speak of it until something dawned on him. Of course... He couldn't believe that he hadn't seen it or even thought about it before. Spencer had been right all along about him. It was not in his soul, his brain or in his body.

It was his _blood_.

The blood connection. It was the blood that they shared together in both of their bodies. Somehow, it created a peculiar warmth between them both, a physical yearning of some kind. The blood was never meant to be separated in such a way without proper amplifications. It would explain why Rose had suddenly changed from repressed to sexually active in mere seconds of him touching her. Wesker wanted to kick himself for forgetting such things, but at the time, he was with limited resources and could not test the injection. He risked everything to chance and had been as foolish as any normal Umbrella employee. Well, he would not make such mistakes again; this was just a lesson to be learned as any other lesson.

"It's our blood bond ... !" he gasped.

Oluchi nodded his head. "Yes," he agred, "For you see, it - - "

He was cut off at the sound of a minivan pulling into the small camp. Caleb hopped out of it with three more people at his side; an old man, a woman and another man. Oluchi grinned and held up one hand to Wesker.

"Hold that thought, my friend," he said, "We have guests."

Rose and the others stepped out of the house, carrying cups and glasses of drinks in their arms. Krauser was munching on a small loaf of bread and cocked his head at the sight of the three new people.

"Who are these guys?" he asked.

Rose shrugged her shoulders until her eyes landed on one of the people. They slowly widened and the glass slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor and shattering into a million tiny shards. Everyone looked over at her and she looked stunned, perhaps even a bit frightened. But there was definitely exhilaration there. She smiled slightly.

"It ... It can't be!"

O

_Note_- I love cutting it off... LOL. Update to come soon.


	38. Chapter 38: Cold Blooded

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Cold Blooded**

_Fox Island, Mississippi _

"Rose?" Beth said, worried, "Rose, what's wrong?"

Rose didn't answer her and she walked up to the three people, ignoring their confused and wary looks. She stopped in front of the older man and studied him up and down, her eyes roving every detail before her; his short whitened hair with bits of brown still in them, his dirty denim jacket and overalls, his muddy black boots. But more importantly were his eyes and that thin, very pale scar along the side of his cheekbone. Despite his age, even after 13 years, she still remembered those key factors.

"Um ... hi?" he stammered, a little bit wavered by her stare.

"You don't remember my face, do you, old man?" Rose hissed, her voice trembling and her eyes still wide.

The man frowned at her, uncertain about the question and her peculiar look. "Uh, n - no, I don't. At least, I don't ..._ think_ so," he said, "Who are you and why do you _think _that you know who I am?" He laughed nervously. "Who you with?"

"Rose, what's going on?" Beth asked, stepping over to her best friend's side, "What's the matter?"

"Yeah," Krauser agreed, shrugging his shoulders, "He just looks like some old punk to me." He smirked at the man's indignant expression. "Hey, I call 'em how I see 'em pal."

Rose waved Beth and Krauser off with one hand. "Pipe down, you two," she said, a little too harshly, eyes still locked onto the man, "I'm trying to see if I can get this man to remember me." She chuckled and it sounded rather eerie coming from her in a quiet, musical tone. "Oh, he absolutely _has _to remember my face seeing since he was busy smashing it into a wall 13 years ago!"

Beth gasped in shock, unable to understand what she meant right now, but more or less, it was a horrifying accusation. Wesker's brows went up with a murmur of surprise and Jonas' eyes went wide.

"Are you kidding me?" Jonas cried.

"Oh shit!" Beth gasped, her eyes wandering once to Rose and then the man.

The man laughed weakly, watching every staring face and listening to the concerned murmurs at the tension rising in the air. Oluchi looked a little confused himself, leaning to one side to try and analyze the situation. He didn't wish to step in the middle of it right know until he had a basic understanding as to what had incited Rose's anger.

"L - Look, you got the wrong guy!" he told Rose, weakly as he took a few careful steps back from her, "I dunno who it is you're looking for, but it sure as hell ain't me!"

Rose tilted her head and furrowed her brow, pretending to think about that. "Mmm, nope, I think I got my facts straight," she told him, "Maybe if I give you a name, that might ring a few of those bells in that head of yours. How's that sound?"

The man reluctantly grimaced at that and there was a bit of fear in his voice that was obvious by everyone standing there. "I don't know … or like where this is going."

"Does the name Charles Bedford ring any bells at all in that tiny little skull of yours?" Rose asked, grinning, watching a thoughtful look cross his features, "Think _reeeaaal _hard about it. Charles Bedford. A good man who spent his life working with me and Umbrella. We owned a Victorian house outside the city walls and all the land surrounding it."

The man frowned, trying to think about that name and the place that she was talking about. "Charles Bedford ... " he whispered, to himself, "Charles Bedford." He paused for a brief moment and then realization began to light his face. "Wait a minute. Wasn't Charles Bedford the name of that guy that I was supposed to ... " His eyes grew wide in horror when it all suddenly clicked into place. "Oh, my God!"

He turned and started to run for his life, just as Rose took off after him, snarling like a beast unleashed. Just as he dove for the electric gate to escape, a hand clamped down tightly onto his leg, dragging him back toward the vengeful revenant. His nails left tiny trails in the dirt as he screamed and kicked, trying to break free; but to no avail. The others standing around and surveying the scene looked horrified and confused at this, wondering just what it was that this man did to piss Rose off.

"So you took care of him, huh?" she snarled, voice filled with animal hatred, "Dead as a doornail." She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off of his feet to meet her blazing red eyes. "Weren't those your exact words when you went back to Spencer?"

Beth's eyes grew wide. "Oh God!" she whispered, "Rose, is this really - - ?"

"Yes!" Rose hissed, grinning with glee, "This was the man who killed my father!" She laughed loudly. "For so many years, I was left wondering if I'd ever see your face again! It's a fucking miracle!" She cackled again.

A chorus of gasps echoed around her. Rose laughed quietly at the squirming man in her grip and watched as he stared down at her beseechingly. "He ... He wasn't your ... father!" he choked, through his crushing windpipe.

"HE WAS A FATHER TO ME!" Rose nearly screamed, spitting in her words, "AND YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME! YOU TOOK MY ONLY FAMILY AWAY FROM ME! YOU TOOK HIM!"

The man grinned as much as he could through his crushing windpipe and he even tried to persuade her otherwise. "I ... I don't ... remember!" he begged. "I DON'T REMEMBER!"

Rose squinted at him with a smirk on her face. It was an insane smirk that spoke of her losing her own will to her bitter past and madness. "Oh. You don't remember." she repeated, as if she couldn't believe his words.

"No ... I ... I can't," he whimpered, "It was 13 years ago ... Too long for me to - - "

"LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FUCKING REMEMBER THE EXACT YEAR?" Rose screamed, slamming him into the ground, drawing a sharp groan of pain from his lips. "It's not that you can't remember, you just can't say it, can you? Well, let me say it for you, then! 'Miss Rose Lenore Bedford, I killed your father and nearly took your life with him'!"

"P - Please!" the man begged, "Have mercy! I made a mistake!"

Rose leaned forward, her teeth showing. "Mercy?" she whispered, "You certainly showed me no mercy when you stabbed me in the shoulder and nearly took my life with my father. You had no mercy on you, you had no fucking life." She snarled. "Why the FUCK should I show you any goddamn mercy? Give me one fucking reason! JUST ONE!"

The man grinned weakly, his eyes stinging with tears. "I ... just need a chance to think things over and ... " he tried, " ... I have to ... Have to try and work things out again and ... "

Rose snarled at him, lips taut and features full of mocking fury. "You've had your whole fucking life to think things over about what you've done to me!" She grinned wickedly. "What good's a few minutes more going to do you now?"

"Rose, stop!" Beth whispered, "There's kids here ... "

"Shut up!" Rose shouted back at her, eyes flaring, "This has nothing to do with you!"

Oluchi knew that things were going to get out of hand and he raised one hand and his voice loud enough to be heard by everyone. "All of you, into your homes immediately!" he shouted, "Shut your windows and lock your doors!"

Everyone did as he asked of him. They rushed as quickly as they could, shutting their doors and locking them behind them. They closed the windows and the back doors as well. It made no difference to Rose anymore. She had the murderer here and now in her clutches and she was not about to be stopped now. She was too far gone in her own blood - thirsty revenge to care about who was there and who was not.

"Please! Don't hurt me," the man begged, "I'm begging you!"

Rose laughed loudly at the plea as if he had said the most funny thing in the world. "Please, don't flatter yourself, when I get through with you, your dearest wish will be that I had just _hurt you_!" She made an eerie cooing sound. "Oh but where to start? Oh, I have been known to be VERY creative when he situation calls for it."

O

The man was hovering upside down with his ankles wrapped up with chains. Rose paced around him, humming softly to herself. He watched her warily, sniffling and trying not to piss himself. Outside was Beth and the others, watching the front door with amazement and unease. Beth looked absolutely floored by her friend's behavior. She had never seen her like this before.

"Rose is different now," she said, softly, "I've never seen her like this."

"She has just found her father's killer, Beth," Wesker told her, smiling with pleasure at the thought of what Rose would do to the man, "Let her have her fun for the time being. After all, I think she rightfully deserves it, don't you?"

"No!" Beth protested, angrily, "It's not right!"

"'Is it'?" Wesker sneered, "Look around you, Miss Underwood. I think that you're still living in the Dark Ages now. There is no longer a 'fine line' between what is right and what is wrong anymore. I think Rose is starting to see that now." He chuckled sarcastically and shrugged one shoulder. "Heh. Better late than never, I suppose."

A yelp erupted from behind the closed doors and all heads turned toward it. Inside, Rose had grabbed the man by his head and lifted him up to meet her face. She was smiling coldly.

"Alright, first off, I'm going to ask you a few questions," she told him, "And every time you give me a wrong answer, you will lose some fingers. Are we clear on that?"

The man murmured with terror and nodded. "Uh - huh ... " he choked.

"Okay, first thing's first: I want you to tell me your name." Rose ordered, releasing him and walking over to a table filled with many tools that she had removed. He swallowed hard, thinking about what she had planned with those tools.

"T - Todd Farley ... " the man stammered.

Rose smiled and picked up a silver pair of snippers. "Good! We're getting somewhere now!"

Todd sniffled and looked up at his bound legs. He tried another tactic to free himself; a method of threatening her. "This is fucking insane, Rose ... " he breathed, weakly, "You can't do this to me ... I - I still have friends, you know!"

Rose chuckled, obviously not fazed by the threat. "Let's talk about your friends, Mr. Farley," she said, bending down to study his face, "Let's talk about Spencer especially. Tell me why he sent you to kill my father."

Todd whimpered and jerked his head from her. "I'm not saying nothing," he croaked, "I talk to you, they'll kill me for sure. Y - You don't wanna be on m - my bad side or I'll go back and report it!"

Rose grabbed his throat tightly, her nails almost digging into the flesh deep enough to draw a few thin trickles of blood. "I'm not so sure you even have another side you no-account backwoods trash!" she hissed, through her bared teeth, "Now, I'll tell you this, if you do not tell me what it is I want to know, I'll kill you right here and now, Todd!"

"I-I don't know!" Todd cried, "I was just a hired gun, I swear!"

Rose sighed and stood up, raising the snippers to one of his fingers. "Well, if your memory's slipping then maybe I have just the thing to jog your memory, old man," she told him. She listened to his breathing slowly quicken. "It won't hurt you too much if I cut it off at the nerve endings. It will kill them and the blood loss with it will cause you to go into shock ... and all you'll feel is ... cold, a numbing sensation through your entire arm." She chortled. "Isn't science fun, Todd? It was always my favorite thing in the world."

"Wait!" Todd shrieked, trying to swing himself away from the waiting snippers, "Wait, wait, wait! I'll tell you! I'll tell you anything, anything, anything you want to know."

"Consider it a God send compared to what you did to me!" Rose whispered, softly.

"Please!" Todd begged, "I'll tell you everything!"

Rose slowly pulled her hand away from his, the sharp ends of the snippers lightly gliding away from his flesh. "That's a good boy," she sneered, patting his cheek roughly, "Seems like you have learned a few things with age after all!"

Todd exhaled and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "Okay, okay ... " he panted, collecting his thoughts, "Any discussion of Spencer's business involved a man by the name of Alex Wesker. They controlled everything from here on out ... tons of cash. Your 'daddy' was a pretty damn good scientist working under Umbrella. Charles Bedford was the same way, but he wasn't a good man, I tell you that."

"That's a lie!" Rose spat, eyes flaring. How dare he make such assumptions!

Todd grinned weakly. "N - No, I'm serious!" he insisted, "When he had interest in you, everyone in the corporation knew that he wanted to be a part of Spencer's grand master plan! He wanted to lead the Mother of Genesis into a new era!"

Rose frowned. "So why did you kill him?"

"I'm getting to that," Todd breathed, "You see, Charles had everything; funding, a laboratory of operations and the girl who would make him one wealthy bastard. Unfortunately, over time, he began to get too fond of you. He even spoke up against Spencer on several occasions about chipping you. Spencer ignored his pleas, of course and began to see a problem with Charles. He was gonna betray Spencer and take off with you to some foreign country where Umbrella couldn't reach you. So he called me in to get rid of the guy. I didn't plan on you even being there!"

Rose listened with fury and intrigue on her face. "What about my mother? What about my biological father? I have heard that they are still alive. What happened to them?"

Todd thought about it before he grinned uneasily and shook his head. "Oh ... I don't think you wanna see the other ones ... " he stammered. "Y - You might not like it when you see 'em!"

"Tell me, or I slice your fingers off!" Rose hissed, venomously.

Todd squeezed his eyes shut before he opened them and looked at her pleadingly. "I-I was able to catch a glimpse of Spencer's work before I left!" he stammered, "I might have heard about your parents being kept in cryostasis ... " He winced when she raised the snippers to his hand. Obviously nothing she found useful. "The blood! It was their blood!" He felt her draw away from his fingers. "Hehe ... The blood that ran through their veins was perfect! Their immune systems were almost strong enough to survive lethal injections!"

Rose frowned thoughtfully, tilting her head. "So why has Spencer kept them?"

"I ... I don't know!" Todd begged, "Please, that's all I know! Now let me go!"

Rose stood up and placed the snippers onto the table beside a handgun before walking out of the darkened room. Todd screamed after her, struggling with his confines. He screamed again.

"WAIT!" he shrieked, "DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!"

O

Rose stepped out of the building and those who had been listening in retreated as quickly as they could to make it seem less conspicuous that they had been spying on her the whole time. She didn't really care anyways. This was her burden to deal with and no one else should get involved with it. Maybe Wesker was right. There was no way that she'd survive being a good guy.

But then whenever she'd think such horrible things to herself, her conscience would be there to remind her that she was and always will be a good person. Rose was a good person at heart and would remain that way. She couldn't do this; be the monster that they wanted her to be. After what she had done to Karl, doing this again with her will intact would be wrong.

"Rose!" Beth called.

Rose sighed and turned, facing her friend with dismay. "What?"

Beth faltered slightly at her tone before she spoke, her voice an attempt at understanding despite all that she had seen her do. "Rose, I know what you have to be going through," she told her, "Believe me, I do. But this isn't the right way to go. You can't kill him for killing your father! You would be no better. What would your father want out of you?"

Rose laughed bitterly. "I'm not really sure considering the fact that I've never really knew the truth about either one of them ... "

"Rose ... " Beth said, painfully. She put her arms around her shoulders and listened to Rose's voice start to hiccup and crack; a sign of her slowly starting to cry. That did it for her friend and she put her arms around her in a tight hug, not even caring if they had watchers. "Oh Rose ... don't break down now. Don't give in. We're getting so close."

Inside the room where Todd hung, he was starting to swing back and forth in attempt to weaken the screw that had him held tightly into place. He groaned and uttered small sounds of frustration, giving his entire body one final sway before the screw splintered the wood and he fell to the floor with a sharp grunt and thud to follow. After removing the chains from his body, wriggling out of them, he stood up and looked around for a potential weapon. Spotting the handgun lying there, he clenched his teeth and took the weapon before sneaking out of the back door.

He would need some leverage to get out of here. After all, Rose and the other shit heads who lived here were nothing but bleeding hearts. He could use it to his advantage. And much to his luck, he spotted one of those little brats playing in the dirt with a stick and rock. It was Jeremy. He didn't care what the kid was doing so long as he used him to get out of here.

After a brief moment, Todd fired off his weapon and appeared from behind the buildings with Jeremy wrapped up in one arm. Everyone let out a chorus of screams and shouts of shock and ducked out of the way to retrieve their weapons. Todd laughed cruelly at the scene and watched Rose and the others spin swiftly to see this. There was a chorus of shouts and mixed sentences.

- - "Get down, Willie!"

- - "Get down! Get over here."

- - "Under the truck. Get under it."

"Ah, ah, put your fucking guns down, assholes!" he shouted, at the group of people armed with shotguns, handguns and machine guns. "Or this poor little kid's gonna find himself in a world of pain!" He pressed the barrel of his gun against Jeremy's skull.

After a moment of hesitation and exchanged glances between one another, the people slowly bent down to place their weapons onto the ground. Oluchi looked deeply upset by this scene playing out before him. He rolled up slightly.

"Please, friend," he said, softly, "We will do no harm to you. Let the boy go. Do not dishonor yourself in such a way."

"SHUT UP!" Todd screamed, leveling the gun at him now, still holding onto the boy as tightly as he could, "You take one more step and I cap your ass too! Stay back and open the goddamn gate!"

Jeremy struggled somewhat in Todd's grip, growling furiously and attempting to be brave. "You're a big ass, you know that!" the boy shouted.

His two parents, a terrified and concerned couple on the far right of the front gate cried out in disbelief at the swear that came from their son. "Jeremy!" they shouted.

Jonas' brows rose and he whispered sidelong to Beth. "And I thought _Wesker_ fought dirty," he told her, "He makes this guy" - - pointing to Wesker - - "look like the patron saint of ethics."

Rose snarled and took a threatening step forward. "Let him go," she ordered, "Believe me, you will not like it when I get my hands on you because I can guarantee that you will never run again!"

Todd chuckled, beads of sweat condensing his brow and his hands shaking with effort and terror. He tried to remain defiant to her threats with the weapon in one hand and the hostage in the other. He took a few steps toward the electrified fence. He gestured to it with the end of the handgun and looked furiously over at Oluchi.

"Tell your fucking goons to unlock the damn gate!" he ordered.

Rose looked sharply back at one of the men standing nearest the gate controls and pointed one finger at him, just as he raised a hand to unlock the gates. "Don't you open that gate!" she shouted up to him.

Everyone looked at her as if she was insane. "Rose!" Beth protested.

"B - But ... my son!" Jeremy's mother cried.

Rose smirked at Beth, giving her a wink before taking one step forward toward Todd. At that, he pressed the gun to Jeremy's head tighter. The boy grunted in pain and gave Rose a confused frown, wondering just what it was she was up to.

"Stay back!" Todd shouted, "I swear to God, I'll kill your fucking brat right here!"

Rose glowered at him and grinned broadly. "Why don't you kill me instead?" she offered.

Everyone reacted and exclaimed with horror at the request. The only one who knew exactly what she was doing was Wesker. He just smirked at the suggestion. My, oh my, she had become devious since he had last met her. Todd, however, looked at her as if she were crazy. He shifted back and forth in his spot before looking up at her.

"What?" he gasped.

"You heard me," Rose told him, "If you can kill me, you go free and no one here'll follow you."

Todd was trying to figure out just what it was she was trying to do. He furrowed his brow, stared down at a terrified Jeremy - - terrified for the sake of Rose - - and then back up to her.

"You mean, if I spare this little booger - dripping shit that you don't even know ... " he began, surprised, "You'll walk right into a loaded gun and I'll get outta here as clean as come?"

Rose chuckled. "That's right."

Oluchi, however, was trying to restore order. "Sir, just please put the gun down, okay?" he said, softly, "Please don't do it."

Rose spoke over him, grinning widely at Todd. "You could kill me right now, get out of here Scott-free, couldn't you?" she sneered, "You shoot me, there goes the nasty woman who beat your ass!" Todd struggled to focus on what to do and Rose was not about to give him that chance. She sneered at him. "You don't have the fucking balls, do you, Ranger Rick?" she hissed. And then, she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Pull the fucking trigger, fucknut!"

Todd snarled and tossed Jeremy aside like a rag doll, leveling the gun directly at Rose. "Fuck you!" he shrieked, squeezing the trigger.

O

Everyone watched in muted horror as Rose's entire body was spasming like a scarecrow in the wind from the bullets that peppered her entire chest. No one could move or breathe until the sounds of Todd's weapon clicking emptily filled the air. Rose's body thumped to the floor, flat onto her back and smoking where the bullets had punctured her. After a brief moment of silence, someone screamed and then, a chorus of screams filled the air. Jeremy and Scott rushed over to Rose's body and started sobbing.

Her eyes were open and rolled up into her head and her tongue hung out from the side of her gaping mouth. Todd, however, was rejoicing like the asshole that he was. He jumped up and down with glee and waved his empty weapon into the air.

"HE SHOOTS! HE SCORES, BABY!" he screamed, joyously. "WHOOO!"

In the midst of his laughing, there was a slow buildup of another laugh filling the air. All eyes went wide as they stared at Rose's supposedly lifeless body. Her eyes were bright red and she was laughing loudly, head thrown back and cackling like he had said the most amusing thing in the entire world. The bullet markings in her body had begun to steam and the shells slowly slide out of her flesh. As she slowly sat up, she tilted her head with a broad grin at the horrified Todd.

"My turn." she hissed.

Todd screamed, pulling the trigger even though the gun continuously clicked to remind him that there was no ammunition left in the clip. Rose charged forward with lightning speed at slammed her fist into his abdomen, sending the man flying backwards into the electric fence. Everyone attempted to look away as the electricity went haywire, crackling around the man's spasming body. He let out a bloodcurdling scream between gagging cries and shrieks, his eyes and nose gushing with blood.

Rose watched this coldly while the civilians could only stare on in horror. After a gruesome display of bleeding out of every orifice, Todd's body finally stopped spasming and fell from the fence in a charred, smoking heap. Rose stared down at the corpse before she turned to face the others. The civilians uttered simultaneous gasps and backed away upon instinct. She studied their expressions and read only horror and disgust.

"Goddamn monster!" a man screamed, going for his shotgun.

Rose reacted with slightly widened eyes and a grunt of shock. The same went for the others. Krauser raised one hand to the people as they began to pick up their weapons and aim them inadvertently at Rose.

"Whoa, hang on a second!" he insisted.

"She a monster!" another man hissed, shotgun pointed at Rose's head, "Look at what she did to that guy! How do we know she won't do that to us whenever she ends up in a bad mood?"

Beth stared at each and every one of their faces, frowning. "She was trying to help!"

"All of you, please let her speak!" Oluchi ordered.

The same man who had shouted 'goddamn monster' looked over at him angrily. "No way!" he barked, "Our lives are on the line here and you will not speak for us this time!"

Oluchi looked stunned.

"Get out of here, you fucking freak!" a woman screamed, at Rose, "You're no longer welcome here at our place!"

Jeremy tugged at his mother's arm to try and get her to persuade the others that Rose was not bad. "Mom! Listen to her! She was trying to save me!" he insisted, "She wouldn't hurt any of us! That man was bad! He got what he deserved!"

His mother's eyes snapped wide in shock at what he had just said and then she glowered across the crowd to Rose. "See what you are teaching our children?" she shouted, "You are teaching them that it's okay to murder people for the sake of revenge!" Her eyes narrowed coldly. "You should do that unborn kid of yours a favor!"

Jonas and Beth gasped in shock and horror at the words. "Whoa! Way out of line!" Beth snarled, "You take that back, you damned bitch or I'll take it back for you!"

Wesker didn't seem the least bit deterred. They were just narrow words from marrow-minded individuals. He looked over at Rose and noticed that her head was hung in shame. Why did she do this to herself? Sighing, he glowered coldly at the entire crowd and spoke in a hate-filled, menacing voice that was enough to chill even granite.

"All of you, shut your mouths!" he bellowed.

Immediately, the entire murmuring crowd ceased their chatter and reacted with surprise at his outburst. Krauser looked over at him warily and Jonas and Beth instinctively hushed themselves to hear what he obviously wanted to say. They knew that it wouldn't be very pleasant given his terrible grimace and his flaring red eyes.

"Monster ... Monster ... " Wesker sneered, cruelly in a bizarre falsetto voice. "Yes, I have to agree with that little statement, as tired as it may be; we are both monsters in our own, bizarre little way. Although I am quite certain that each and every one of you have been called a monster at some point in your lives." He watched confusion light each face staring at him and he chuckled. "But I see it clearly, I see that all you are ... all just humans ... humans. Just weak ... spineless little humans!"

They murmured softly to one another, snippets of sentences arguing and saying that they weren't weak, weren't spineless. Wesker just stared them down, coldly and cruelly, not even taking heed to Rose's slightly surprised expression. He pointed a finger at each feature and each uneasy grimace on the watching faces in front of him.

"You sit there in your little shell, milking safety and food off of Oluchi, the man who had GIVEN you every reason to live and exist in this dead hell!" Wesker hissed, venomously, "Rose has spared your children from death and what of her 'terrible' methods? They suddenly no longer appeal to any of you because it's 'bad'? She happens to be stronger than each and every one of you low life humans!" He exhaled. "So call us monsters, call us abominations. But know this, it holds no sway over being called HUMAN." He sneered at them. "You despicable humans kill each other and tear each other apart for foolish reasons. Those who carry that name ... HUMAN ... are the uttermost abominations in existence."

So go ahead and do what you feel that you must! Slander Rose and I for our existence purely out of your own personal fears. Shoot us, slice us to ribbons, try to kill us all you like. But the truth will forever remain the same: You are just humans. You will forever be crawling, despicable feeding parasites on our boots. You are no longer even worth enough to be called mud beneath us! Rose saved your children ... You should be worshiping her! That very scum of a man could have very well killed every single one of you in the night as you slept! It would not have been what was on the outside that would have killed you, but the very stray that you took in!"

Hoo - rah. Cheer over the fireplace about your little squandered victory between the scary Rose Bedford and Albert Wesker. Hide behind your precious electrified walls and pray that every day, you're lucky to be alive! Today could have been your last days on Earth, but the woman that you foolishly address as a monster spared you from that." He chuckled mockingly and shook his head at their stunned silence. "So...should we envy the country that has its heroes? Or should we pity the country that needs them?"

There were no words among the group and the slowly lowered their weapons in disbelief at the true and numbing words from the legendary Albert Wesker. Rose said not a single word as she stepped onto the RV with the others following inside. Wesker gave the people one final, disgusted look. They were just whining, cowardly dogs feeding from table scraps, nothing more.

"I hope you live, I really do," he sneered, stepping onto the RV.

As the large vehicle roared to life, Jeremy waved his arms and tried to get their attention. "Rose! Rose, wait!" he cried.

Without a single acknowledgement, the vehicle backed away, performed a proper U-turn with the people scattering out of the way to avoid being crushed. Krauser didn't even wait for them to unlock the gate. He plowed right through it, snapping it clear off of its hinges as it drove away into the swamps. Jeremy watched as it disappeared and tears filled his eyes.

"I'm sorry ... " he said, softly.

O

_Note_-I sort of connect with Rose in some way. I think we all have the ability to be wicked in nature. Rose is no exception. Even though she's a great gal and has a high sense of honor, she still thinks about doing bad things.


	39. Chapter 39: Chasing Delusions

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: ****Chasing Delusions**

_Tunica Lake, Mississippi _

Rose stepped out of the RV and took a deep intake of breath.

The cool morning wind was passing lightly over her face and neck, giving her prickles of goosebumps. Gazing out to the lake before her, she exhaled. "Hmm, pretty ... "

The morning sun seemed to cast a beautiful glow against the black curtain of the night that still lingered in the sky along with small, flickering stars. Rose was surprised to hear an occasional cricket chirp echoing back at her. The trees were glistening with evidence of morning dew, making them appear like glittering diamonds. It truly was a sight to behold in this terrible, hellish world that Spencer and his friends had created. Considering what they had been through, it could have been labeled as paradise.

Sleeping for a few hours after that incident with the people over at Fox Island worked wonders for her mind and her body. After all, she had felt lower than dirt about it and didn't want to talk of it to her friends for the remainder of the day only because it wouldn't help her. It would have been for the best anyway since there were times when 'talking about it' only made her feel worse. And since they had probably been through enough trying to find her sorry butt, she didn't want to make things even less bearable for them.

"Well, your up early... "

Rose turned and spotted Wesker leaning against the RV casually with that uppity grace that he was so famous for. In his right hand he held a cup of coffee and his other hand was shoved into his pocket. He looked almost relaxed as he was watched the sunrise. Rose walked up to him and stood at his side, staring at the glow of the rising sun with him.

"Where'd the others go off to?" she asked.

Wesker took a small sip of his coffee. "I had ordered them to retrieve whatever weapons they could find," he told her, "We passed a gun shop on the way here. They should be back within a few hours."

"Oh ... " Rose paused for a moment and listened to the utter silence that followed before she spoke. "Hey, Wesker, I've been thinking about a few things lately."

Wesker didn't sound interested. "Oh? Do tell."

Rose gave him an annoyed frown at his sarcasm before she continued. "Well, the way I see it," she said, "I don't think I'm ready to face Spencer or anything else that he throws at us. I think that I might need some more time before we arrive in Raccoon City." She looked at him. "I think that ... maybe you can help me with that."

Wesker had started to bring the cup to his lips, but he stopped and lowered his arm slightly, frowning at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well what I mean is ... " Rose continued, "You had started to show me how to fight and apply myself when my house was still up in one piece. So I was thinking that since we have the time today, you could give me a few more pointers."

Wesker looked thoughtful for a few moments, murmuring quietly as he considered helping Rose with that or not. Finally, he smiled at her and stepped away from the RV.

"I don't think so." he replied, starting to walk away.

Rose stood there in surprise for a few moments, unable to process his answer. Then, she scowled and jogged quickly over to his side as he walked toward the lakeside.

"What do you mean, 'I don't think so'?" she demanded, surprised.

Wesker stopped and gave her a look, removing his glasses to stare at her with his own eyes. "Exactly as it sounds, Rose," he told her, "When I attempted to teach you what I knew based on my own personal experiences, you spent most of your time complaining and griping about how 'unfair' I was being to you. I don't have the time nor the patience to deal with round two of that." He fitted his glasses back onto his face and took another sip of coffee.

"Come on!" Rose protested, "I promise I'll be good! I won't grip or complain and I won't give a 5 minute speech about how I think your style is dumb and self-righteous."

Wesker leaned his head back and looked at her; yet even though Rose couldn't see his eyes, she could guess that he was giving her his famous bored, tired expression.

"You cannot promise me that because you have no self control, Rose," he told her, snarky.

She sighed and shook her head. "Come on, Wesker," she protested, "I'm really being serious here. I want to learn how to have that kind of ... 'self control' ... and learn to control my temper so that I never have to feel like what I did yesterday."

Wesker was silent for a moment, considering the benefits of a less - temperamental super human like Rose. It would be a peaceful change compared to what he was used to from her at the moment. Maybe teaching her to be less impulsive wouldn't be such a bad idea. But he had to make perfectly sure that she would not simply waste his time as she had done so in the past.

"You must swear to me that you will do everything that I tell you to do," he told her, sternly, "For if I hear even the slightest protest or complaint out of you, you are on your own from here on out. Do I make myself absolutely perfectly clear on this?"

Rose, clenching her teeth behind her closed lips simply forced the most genuine smile that she could and nodded. It ended up looking stiff, jagged and downright creepy. "Crystal." she answered.

Wesker grimaced slightly at the display. "For pity's sake, Rose," he muttered, "If you are going to fake it, then at least make an effort not to look frightening in the process."

"Blow me." she retorted.

"Oh, that is wonderful, Rose ... "

O

Rose was standing at the lake's edge where Wesker was drawing a circle around her by dragging the heel of his boot in the dirt. She looked slightly bored and intrigued all at once.

"Okay, I give," she said, "What is this?"

Wesker finished drawing the circle with the heel of his foot and turned to face her. "This is what I like to call a training circle," he told her, "For now, it will represent your entire world, your very universe. Until I tell you otherwise, there is nothing outside of it."

Rose opened her mouth to speak. "But what about my fa - "

"There is nothing," Wesker barked, interrupting her (he lowered his voice) "outside of it. Charles Bedford does not exist until I say he exists." He paced himself around her. "As your skill improves you will eventually step out of the circle into a smaller one. Each one will bring you closer to your goal, your enemy. But most importantly, your retribution."

Rose grinned at him. "I like that part."

He chuckled softly. "I figured that you would," he replied, "Shall we?"

Both Wesker and Rose spent half of the morning improving her stances and he even worked at a slow and steady pace to show her how to execute the moves properly. It was a peculiar and interesting change in him. Usually, he only gave her one chance to learn something before he moved on. Maybe he behaved differently because there was a certain peace here by the lakeside, a time to relax for a while.

_It doesn't feel like the virus reached this beautiful place ..._ Rose thought, as she moved into her appropriate stance, watching Wesker's demonstration, _He seems a little bit better today. Maybe he really did worry a bit when I was gone, _A small smile lit her face, _I guess he just doesn't know how to show any kind of worry or concern for another person. Well, if this is his way of 'showing it', I'll take it any day. Hell, I can't expect perfection out of him. Better just take what I can get._

"Slow," Wesker instructed, turning his flattened palm upwards into an uppercut which he performed slowly, "Attack slow."

Rose did just as he said. He clenched his fists and performed slow, methodical gestures that were followed with a few equally placed kicks. When he was sure that Rose had the motions down, he smirked at her and stood in a proper attack position in front of the woman. Rose arched a single eyebrow coyly and knew just what he wanted her to do.

"Now, ATTACK!" he commanded.

Rose then executed the moves in high procession, delivering blow after blow to Wesker, which he blocked each and every time. Of course, she never faltered, never messed a single move up. It didn't matter if he was adept at blocking her punches; she was just doing them right this time. After Wesker swept her feet and sent her flat onto her back, he grinned down at her, pressing his foot into her chest.

"Ouch, son of a bitch ... " she growled, rolling her head on her shoulders.

"Good," he told her, "You've learned a very important lesson: Sometimes you must learn to take a fall when need be." After watching her lay there with irritation, he took his foot off of her chest and walked away. "Time for a drink."

But the drink was not for her, just for his own pleasure. He had opened up a bottle of liquor and took a relaxing spot in a lawn chair as he watched Rose perform flips, jumps and rolls through vines and the trees. She was grunting and sighing with effort as she moved, beads of sweat flying off of her brow. Wesker could practically smell the heavy stench of it on her. He leaned his head to one side and took a sip of his glass as she stopped long enough to take a breath and hear his opinion.

"Perfect," he told her, crossing his legs and leaning back in the chair. He watched her smile breathlessly and he mirrored her smile. But his smile carried with it devious intentions. "Do it again."

Rose's smile disappeared and she spun around angrily, uttering streams upon streams of curses, swears, and muffled growls of how much she wanted to kill him. He just grinned behind his glass. Ahh, so she was learning to keep her violent mouth in check after all. Well, at least she was learning something in this endeavor after all. Perhaps he would see just how far he could push her.

And he received his wish.

He commanded her to perform proper military pushups, suspended a few inches off of the ground by four slabs of concrete that he had taken from the street with her knuckles pressed deeply into them. She had removed her jacket and shirt beneath it, wearing her black tank top with bits of sweaty patches covered all over her chest and under arms. Wesker had his feet propped up onto her back like a foot-rest and was casually reading a book in one hand. In his other hand, he held a small night stick.

"Damn ... Dammit ... all to hell ... !" Rose choked, teeth clenched and sweat dripping down the length of her hair and face.

Wesker sighed casually and turned the page of his book with the tip of his thumb. "Keep it coming, Rose," he told her calmly, eyes locked onto his book, "Just 70 push ups to go. You've breezed through the first 40 with flying colors."

Rose gnawed her lip, gasping through her nostrils. Her eyes flared red and she struggled with her next push up. "Goddamn you ... I hate you ... fucking hate ... So much ... "

Wesker just chuckled softly. "Of course you do, my dear," he murmured, not really paying attention to her somewhat threatening words; and even more, he was trying to get her to lose her focus on the task at hand, "Oh! This is quite a delightful read, Rose. Did you know that you can actually kill someone in various different ways with the use of twine?"

"Had no ... idea ... !" Rose panted, furiously.

"Mm, yes," he continued, "Oh and it even has a section here on the proper preparations for a strawberry cheesecake. My, my, my, I do miss the old days where I would enjoy a good strawberry cheesecake. I wonder, though, if I properly train you in the art of combat, would your domestic skills by any chance require some work whatsoever?"

Rose snarled and descended downward to attempt to cheat at her next push up, but Wesker caught that move and he cracked her swiftly in the abdomen with the night stick. Rose flinched at the brief sting of pain and she snarled up at him furiously. He just grinned at her and shrugged one shoulder innocently, as if he had done nothing wrong.

_Fucking asshole! Still, if I'm gonna learn anything, I'll have to do the 70 push ups and THEN I can really kick his smarmy little ass clear to the goddamn moon!_

"We can do this all night if we have to," Wesker told her, a smile in his voice.

"Not if I ... have ... anything to ... say about it!" Rose panted.

CRACK! The night stick came swinging up into her abdomen again.

"OW!"

O

Krauser and the others watched the scene with amusement.

"Think she's handling this well?" Jonas asked, giving Beth a sidelong smirk.

"Not a chance," Beth remarked, chuckling through her closed mouth.

Wesker had Rose blindfolded and was leading her to the edge of the lakeside, just as the sun was starting to set. He roughly shoved her onto her ass and yanked the blindfold from her eyes. Rose's gaze widened and she grinned broadly at the beauty of it all; the glowing sun that cast radiant golden light against the gentle, waving waters below, the red - yellow glow against the sky and the fluffy clouds that hovered over it.

"Whoa ... !" Rose gasped.

But her moment of admiration didn't last very long when Wesker sharply turned her completely away from the scene. "Sometimes in battle, we are often called to make a quick analysis of what we have just seen and act as accordingly." He placed a pen and pad of paper into her lap. "I want you to draw every little thing that you had just seen."

Rose frowned at the ridiculous idea and slowly began to look over her shoulder, but Wesker grabbed the top of her head and jerked it roughly back toward the paper. "And no peeking either!"

She exhaled and slowly began working on her drawing. Whatever worked to make her a better fighter ... Wesker paced back and forth as he waited for her to finish. After a long moment, Rose stood up and held out her drawing to him. He tilted his head forward, revealing his eyes as he studied the rushed, haphazard job before him.

"You added in a rainbow ... " he murmured.

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "Is that all right?" she asked.

Wesker just gave her a look of pity and sighed, shaking his head and turning slightly on his heels. "I think that it's time for a break ... " he said, walking toward the RV.

Rose tagged at his side and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, what do you think?" Rose asked him, grinning, "Pretty good, huh?"

Wesker sighed impatiently and tried to imagine what life would have been like for him if he hadn't been 'forced' to deal with this woman. "I tell you what I think, I think that you like to dance around too much," he snapped, "I think that you like to talk too much. I think that you don't concentrate enough. There's a lot of of work to be done with you."

Rose chuckled and stared down at her drawing, ignoring the rest of his stream of insults. "I don't know," she said, grinning and studying the picture, "Not bad for a quick glimpse try."

Wesker focused his attention onto Krauser and the others. "What were you able to find?" he asked.

"Well, nothing much," Krauser answered, picking up a cardboard box that contained a few small magnum weapons, a single shotgun and a few boxes of ammo. "It looked like the whole store had been cleaned out when we got there."

Wesker made a sound in his throat. "Lovely ... " he said, and his voice seemed to carry with it a bare hint of sarcasm. Then again, when wasn't he not being sarcastic?

"I've checked the entire perimeter before we came back, boss," Krauser continued, "There's nothing here. At all. We would be alright if we camped here for the night."

Wesker nodded his acknowledgement. "Very well," he replied, "Perhaps a night's reprieve will do us some good."

O

"Ahh!"

Rose gave a sharp gasp through her teeth as she sank her bare feet deep into the pan full of hot water and colorful bubbling suds. The others were sound asleep in the back while Wesker and Rose stayed awake for the remainder of the night, talking and planning things out. Wesker was brewing something inside a bowl and he watched her carefully. He smirked once and tsked.

"I have something for your little...delicate female disposition," he sneered, bending onto one knee and slowly pouring more of the the substance in. He raised his brows as she jumped somewhat.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

Wesker shook his head and glanced up at her with a funny smile. Whenever he smiled, Rose had every reason to suspect that he was up to no real good. "You just soak your feet, Rose, and don't ask so many questions," he told her, "They'll be better tomorrow, I assure you." He straightened up and went to work collecting something to drink from the cooler. "We will begin further training tomorrow. I can promise you this, Rose; you _will _be prepared for Spencer after I get through with you."

Rose shrugged her shoulders and let her feet soak. After a few moments, she felt a strong, numbing sensation through her legs that has started slowly from the heels of her feet, almost as if her feet were no longer attached to her body. She opened her mouth to speak and Wesker raised one finger into the air without glancing back at her.

"It's supposed to do that," he answered, before she could even ask.

Rose closed her mouth with an audible 'click' sound of her teeth coming together. She sniffed the bubbling stuff in her foot pan and tilted her head to one side. It smelled awful, almost as if he had burned down a rat and was boiling it for her soaking feet. Without looking back at her, Wesker stopped what he was doing and lifted his head.

"What's wrong now?" he asked, his voice laced with irritation.

"This stuff smells like old socks," Rose said, grimacing a small degree, "What's in this nasty crap anyway? Duck shit?"

Wesker carried his bottle of liquor over to her and offered it to her. She took a quick drink and handed it back to him. He arched a single eyebrow and took a small drink before he spoke.

"Why must you complain about every little thing?" he asked.

Rose smirked up at him as he took a spot beside her. "Right. Like _you'd_ have anything better to do but snap back at me."

"Hm." Wesker took another drink of his bottle and crossed his legs in his chair.

Rose was silent for a moment, licking her lips thoughtfully before she spoke again. "So ... what are we going to do about Spencer?" she asked, "I can guess that killing him really did no good for you."

Wesker gave her a small glare from the side. "Spencer must have planned this out from the beginning," he murmured, bristling in his chair, "This one cannot possibly be a clone of his. That's entirely beneath a man like Ozwell. He would have had some assistance from Alex, that's for sure."

"And why does everyone keep bringing my old doctor into this?" Rose demanded, pausing once when Beth stirred somewhat in her sleep. She waited for another moment before continuing. "My doctor couldn't have helped end the whole world. It seems like a weird idea as is." She watched a look of realization cross Wesker's features.

"Alex Wesker was your physician?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"Yeah," Rose replied, "I would see him every month about checkups and immunization shots until I turned 18. Then, it kinda stopped." She cocked her head. "Why?"

Wesker nodded his head. There was something strange about the abrupt change in his tone of voice. "Because he was my physician as well ... "

"Oh," Rose murmured, brows arched up, "I guess I can see why the Wesker children were all connected." She was considering her next words carefully before she looked at him and spoke. "Well, all we have to do is find this Spencer guy and take him out, right? It shouldn't be too hard for you, I mean. You've done it before you can do it again."

"No," Wesker said, thoughtfully, "there are too many complications for me to ignore at the moment. My only real concern is getting there alive. I will come up with a plan once we know _exactly_ what it is that we are dealing with."

Rose really didn't understand why he had his doubts now. "What complications?" she asked.

He didn't answer. He simply gave her a quick, doubtful expression before he took another drink. Rose took a while to think about what Wesker was considering to be the problem. She really didn't see any complications with their plan. Had something come up while she was apart from them in that short time? Rose couldn't think of anything except ...

Her eyes slowly widened and a smile touched the corners of her lips. "It's about the baby, isn't it?"

Wesker gave her a sideways look that she could easily read. He looked irritated, somewhat distracted and a little indignant that she had figured it out. He didn't want to look like he gave a damn about the thing that was growing inside of her. It was exactly the opposite and giving her false hope about that would only make things worse.

"Don't misunderstand me for a second, Rose," he told her, sternly, "I am only concerned about it purely because Spencer will definitely want it for his own reasons. And for whatever those reasons may be, they cannot be good."

Rose furrowed her brow and there was hurt in her voice. "I don't get it," she protested, "Why don't you want the child? He's _yours_ too. I just can't understand what the hell's wrong with you men." Her voice began to drip with sarcasm and she counted on her fingers with her next cynical words. "Beth's right. You use 'em, screw 'em, abuse 'em."

Wesker shook his head and his brow knotted with dismay. Such a poor opinion Beth gave her of men. Hm. He wasn't exactly the ideal Prince Charming, but he wouldn't consider himself the same as _other types_. "You have a pretty poor opinion of what you _think _you know of," he argued, voice darkened somewhat, "That is not the reason that I want nothing to do with it."

"Then why?" She put her hands on her hips, her features filled with anger as she waited for his answer. "Enlighten me. I like a good joke as well as the next fat person."

He glared at her for a moment. Finally, he licked his lips and leaned his head back, shutting his eyes for a moment as he collected his thoughts. Finally, he looked at her and his voice was solemn and grave. "I never thought that I would be able to give you a child, Rose," Wesker told her.

She looked astounded by that response and her arms fell away from her hips. "You're serious?" she said, surprised. The anger in her voice had slowly disappeared and she looked to be more willing to hear him out this time. "A - Are you really telling me the truth? You were ... um ... sterile?"

"Yes."

Rose chuckled and shook her head, eyes wide. She took a brief moment to let that simmer and then, she glanced down at her own abdomen, stroked it once before she looked at him with disbelief.

"W - Well how - - ?"

"I ... am not very sure myself," Wesker admitted, his eyes away from hers. He couldn't look at her. "You see, every virus that Umbrella has ever created renders the host impotent. It was a factor that William reminded me when he developed my virus just before my supposed death." He arched a single brow. "At least ... I _thought _that was the case."

"Well ... uh ... " Rose tried to find her voice. She felt a little sick from this news. It all sounded too weird to her. " ... Maybe the virus changed after your many injections that you told me about in Africa. You did mention that you felt a change in your body temperature the day you had first received the shots to counteract with the toxins in your system. Some drugs, be the standard birth control pill lose their effect if given the proper conditions and chemicals."

Wesker pursed his lips thoughtfully and he relaxed a bit. It was good to understand the truth now behind his sudden ability to procreate. "Ahh ... " His voice changed now and he looked somewhat disturbed and angry all at the same time. "That cunning witch warned me that there would be some ... changes. Perhaps I should have listened to her after all ... "

Rose's brows shot up with interest. "What witch?"

Wesker chuckled and waved her off with one hand. "Oh, no one special," he told her, "She was an associate that I had worked with at Tricell. She merely gave me the proper tools to enact my otherwise less than successful plan."

Rose didn't know why exactly, but she felt a pang of jealousy all of a sudden. It was a strange feeling to have because Rose never found there to be a need for considering that she had no reason to feel jealous in her past life. But thinking of another woman being around him made her head swell slightly with envy. She sighed and looked away.

"Does this warty witch of a woman happen to have a name?" she asked, unable to hide the envious pitch in her voice.

"Excella Gionne," Wesker answered, missing the jealousy in her tone.

Rose couldn't believe her ears. "Excella Gionne?" she exclaimed, "The head of Tricell's African Division?"

Wesker smiled at her. "I thought you knew about her and me," he replied, "After all, I was certain that my tales of conquest had gotten out to you, even about the most recent of events."

"I didn't know it went that far!" Rose shouted, throwing her arms in the air.

Wesker made a disgusted sound in his throat. "Please, nothing happened between me and Miss Gionne," he muttered, "As much as she persisted in the matter, I never made any moves on the woman." He started to take another drink. "And why are you concerned about my past with Excella? I don't see how that's relevant in our ... " He paused and Rose watched realization cross his features, slowly. She could tell as he straightened up in his chair that she had suddenly piqued his interest with the questions. A smile began to worm its way onto his face. "Oh ... I get it."

Rose glanced both ways to make sure that the others weren't awake to hear this exchange before she stared at him. "Get what?" she asked, bristling like an intimidated feline.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" he asked, his voice light and amused.

"WHAT?" Rose exclaimed, "I - I am not! How dare you make such a stupid assumption! Why would I be jealous of a woman who looks like a water buffalo anyway?"

Wesker grinned, showing his teeth. "You're doing it again!"

"Shut up!" Rose hissed, trying to keep her voice as low as possible, but it was a task unto itself. She finally relaxed and glared at him now. "Besides, where is this rich bitch anyway? We had received a memo of her disappearance right after you were reported dead."

"She's dead." Wesker answered.

Rose's brows went up. "She's ... dead?"

"Yes." Wesker placed the glass bottle onto the counter top, "She was useful up until she started becoming less and less of any use to me toward my goal. Even more, she had lost my serum. An entire case gone due to her recklessness. I had to make use for her in a way that seemed more ... appropriate." His eyes seemed to light up with memory for a moment. "Hehe. When she transformed, she nearly took the entire ship out with her ... Poor thing had difficulty bearing with the weight of rejection, apparently."

Rose scoffed. "Yeah, ha ha," she muttered, "Just so you know, women are not objects of your amusement. Even if they are rich, snobby and less than appealing for company."

Wesker chuckled and shook his head. "My, my, you are hopeless."

_BSAA Headquarters_

"I don't believe this!"

Jill's angry voice could be heard clear across the garage behind two BSAA Hummers. Chris walked over to her, finding her crouched over a briefcase containing two handguns.

"Jill?" he said.

She turned and glared, at him, her face nearly purple with fury. Whatever had gotten her so ticked off right now went over his head until she would say something. "They're pissing on us and not even giving us the courtesy of calling it rain!" she shouted, off to the side. Something told him that she was shouting it intentionally for some unseen individual to hear.

Jill never used vulgar language. Chris rarely heard her utter a single curse in his time that he had known her. She only ever swore when she was beyond the step of angry.

"Jill, what's the matter?" he asked, worried.

She gestured to the two vehicles and then down to her handguns. "Chris, we're only going to get screwed over more and more!" she barked, "The BSAA top dogs won't give us anything than what you see here! I just got the memo!"

Chris knotted his brow. That didn't seem right to him. This was a very dangerous situation that they were in and the top dogs were acting as if it were nothing at all? He began to grow concerned about them being involved with the incidents as well. Jill brushed passed him.

"I'm talking to Jason!" she called back at him.

Chris groaned and followed behind her. Did she really want to get into more trouble? "No, Jill."

"Don't you give me 'no'!" she shouted back at him, "I'm going to kick his corporate butt!" She would hear no more of Chris' protests against her planned argument with Jason.

After passing several hectic individuals, Jill found Jason in the meeting room, putting a golf ball into a mug. He laughed softly at his personal victory and all Chris and Jill could do was stare. Why was he playing golf at a time like this? It occurred to them that he hadn't been all the way with it since the information regarding Spencer's body and personal affairs had been revealed to him.

Jill, however, wasn't about to take him very lightly. "Jason. You know, I used to think it was benign neglect, but now I see that you are intentionally screwing us," she said, angrily.

Jason sighed and didn't look up from his ball and club. "Jill, you know that I enjoy our little talks more than anything in the world, but I can't help you with that," he replied. He lightly putted the ball again and it was about to go in the mug but Jill kicked the mug away with one foot.

"Oops," she said, deadpanned.

"Look, Jill," Jason began, bending over to retrieve his golf ball and mug, "I didn't want to go through this with you, but it wasn't like I had any other options. I gave corporate the theory about Spencer and you wanna know what they said?"

"What did they say?" Chris asked.

Jason laughed sarcastically. "They told me, 'If you wanna go ahead and chase your own delusions that a dead man is behind all of this, then hey, we'll meet you half way'." He laughed again and Chris and Jill sensed a hint of bitterness and certain sanity slipping behind it. "Can you believe that? They wouldn't even investigate the signal behind that broadcast those few days ago." Jason began to set the golf ball and mug back up. "The whole goddamn world's going to hell and they're not even giving it a second glance to see the demons sprouting out of their own asses!"

Just as he started to putt the golf ball again, Jill gave him an angry snort and kicked the mug out of the way once more. Jason watched her go, an indignant scowl on his face. She stormed out of the room with Chris at her side.

"So how are we going to do this?" Jill demanded.

Chris instantly thought about Wesker and the others. He hated the thought of contacting his old nemesis about teaming up, but it was starting to look like the only option that they had left right now.

"I think I know ... " he replied, gravely.

O

_Note- _The first part of Wesker's teachings was inspired by Mask of Zorro, particularly because Zorro has a similar trailing style that I would picture in Wesker. Sort of. LOL. Strawberry cheesecake. I watched Devil May Cry anime and I was inspired by Dante's love for sundaes.


	40. Chapter 40: From Hell

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty: From Hell**

_Haleside, Arkansas_

The RV stopped in the middle of the empty street; empty fields surrounding every which way. In front of them was a barricade of vehicles and what looked like discarded metal scraps. Krauser heaved a sigh and gave Rose a look. She knew exactly what he was referring to without even having to speak a word. She rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I'm moving ... " she muttered.

Wesker followed her out of the RV so that they could immediately get started on removing the barricade as much as possible. He didn't mind doing this work so long as it was good on his terms alone. They were making excellet time today and it put him in a somewhat high level of spirits as far as he could be. Nothing had gone wrong as far as they had driven. It was looking to be a good day.

Of course, given previous affairs and his past experiences, he wasn't going to hold his breath on that one.

"What a beautiful morning, eh, Wesker?" Rose grunted, pushing a pickup truck out of the way, "No rain ... The sky is clear of any cloud movement. It's been a great morning so far."

"Are you going to recite me a poem?" Wesker murmured, amusement in his voice.

As soon as Rose roughly shouldered a police cruiser aside, she came face to face with a set of mandible jaws. Rose jumped back at an inhuman screeching sound that erupted from what could only be defined as a giant scorpion.

The entire scorpion was black, but the cephalothorax of the anthropod was splashed with bits of yellow and red. The mesosoma had unnatural spines jutting out of the carapace. Its chelicerae waved back and forth and parted to reveal another set of teeth that should not have been there, given the species' natural biology. Its eyes were gleaming orbs of red. Its massive claws snapped back and forth in a threatening manner, but it did not show any interest in attacking them two people in front of it, rather it seemed more like it had just woken up from a nap.

Rose immediately drew her pistol from her boot and Wesker held up a warning hand to her. "Don't shoot at him!" he ordered, watching her stunned expression, "Don't shoot. You'll only aggravate him."

Rose shook her head anxiously, listening to the horrified sounds in the RV. "I don't want to argue with your logic there, Wesker, but it already looks pretty damn aggravated to me!" she whispered, her voice hushed with tension.

"Rose, that body armor is too thick for our firearms to take it down," Wesker warned her, voice low, "Trust me; it seems to have no interest in us right now. It's just a territorial threat display. If you make any sudden moves, he's going to attack."

Rose scowled angrily at him, lowering her weapon slightly. She looked like she was willing to run. "What the hell are we supposed to do, then?" she demanded, "Dance with it?"

Wesker shook his head and gestured slowly with one hand. "The Stingers are usually quite passive B . O . W . s until they have a reason to be provoked into attack," he assured her, "Just hold your ground and maintain eye contact like I'm doing." Sure enough, he had removed his glasses and was staring the massive creature down, hard.

Rose exhaled with worry, but she slowly met gazes with the scorpion and watched as it shifted from foot to foot, hissing and screeching at them. It seemed to throw its weight around a bit as a means to jolt the two people. Its claws smashed several vehicles aside like tin cans and its stinger waved about. Rose's chest heaved when she felt the air of its movements against her face.

The scorpion screeched once more before it slowly began to retreat. Its entire body shoved the cars aside as it moved quickly into the fields. Rose and Wesker watched along the side as its claws slowly began the process of burrowing into the ground. It's color and body distinctions reminded Rose of the family of scorpions known as Buthidae. She was familiar with scorpion behavior to some extent - - being more of a cellular doctor and not an animal specialist - - but not much in the ways of how it behaved when succumbed to t-virus infection.

"Wow ... that was amazing ... !" Rose gasped, grinning almost.

Wesker rolled his eyes as he placed the glasses back onto his face. He obviously didn't share her enthusiasm. "Right ... it was completely amazing," he murmured, "Now let's get going before it decides that it _is _hungry after all."

The two started to walk back toward the RV, but a low, soft growling sound halted them in their steps. They glanced curiously over their shoulders and then, the ground began to shudder beneath their feet. The two held out their arms to maintain their balance as they nearly swayed off of their feet. Suddenly, there was a sickening ripping sound and it took a second for them both to realize that the ground was tearing in front of them.

Soft, very soft growling sounds filled the air; they reminded Rose of the sound of a sink draining of water and food particles. Then, with a deafening roar, the ground erupted in a burst of concrete rubble and debris. Rose and Wesker ducked as far as they could as a dark shape ripped up from the ground below. All eyes locked onto the gigantic thing with shock and amazement.

It looked like a pale, gigantic worm with four long mandibles around a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. It uttered a low, bellowing snarl before sloping its great head down to look at the super humans, apparently in the eye. Rose's chest heaved and she nearly gagged on the putrid smell of the worm's breath. She gave Wesker a sideways look.

"What about this one? Run? Don't run? What do we do?" she demanded, her voice filled with unease.

Wesker had no time to deal with this. It was a B . O . W . that was obviously sent to kill them. He knew for certain because the worms had always been bred within closed captivity and released to 'clean up' what humans could not. It hunted through the use of its highly sensitive exterior, by feeling vibrations emitted through sound and during movement. If it sensed prey, it would typically launch its considerable mass towards its target, generally knocking it to the ground, or consuming it whole. The Gravedigger, it was commonly nicknamed. Wesker really didn't feel that now was a good time to fight a gigantic worm.

"Run! Definitely run!" he commanded.

The RV roared to life and Rose and Wesker jumped onto the back, clinging onto it for dear life as the shrieking worm dove underground, burrowing its way after them. Krauser glanced into the side mirror, noticing the tunneling shape of the worm's body as it pursued them. He looked over at Beth and slowly started out of his seat.

"Take the wheel!" he ordered, "I have an idea!"

Beth didn't have an opportunity to protest because he was already gone out of the chair, running to the back of the RV. Jonas followed him and he began to root through a closet full of their weapons that they had collected in their trip. He pulled out a bow gun; it was an exceptionally useful weapon and the bolts had a specially treated liquid on the tip, which was very volatile, and was said to rival the destructive power of grenades. Krauser was familiar with such a weapon from his time against Ada and Kennedy. He chuckled and flashed a broad grin. Jonas' eyes went wide at the sight of the crossbow - like weapon. Krauser looked at him and gave a devious smile.

"This'll do!" he said.

Rose and Wesker were still clinging to the back of the RV and they both looked back at the sight of the worm's head as it burst from the concrete; its mandibles flared at the teeth parted, revealing a tunnel of saliva and darkness. It snapped at them, just as Krauser's entire upper torso appeared from a window at their side. He aimed the bow gun at the worm's gaping mouth and pulled the trigger.

The bolt connected with the roof of the worm's mouth and a small glowing red beeping object on the tip of it told Wesker exactly what it was. His eyes grew wide in his head and he shielded Rose with one arm.

The worm's jaws closed and an explosion resonated from inside of it, drawing a shrill scream of pain and towers of smoke from its orifice. Rose could see small slivers of flame that extinguished themselves as the worm's great head thrashed back and forth in agony. Krauser grinned at Wesker and Rose, winking once before he ducked out of sight.

"Rose, to the roof!" Wesker ordered, "We'll enter through the side door."

Rose didn't have to be told twice and quickly scaled the large vehicle. Wesker waited for her to get a good distance from him before he followed behind. He gave the shrieking worm a small look over his shoulder and watched as it slowly began to recover. It dove deep into the earth and began to pursue them once more. Cursing once, he balanced himself onto the roof while Rose opened the side door and flipped right off the edge, landing into the RV with all the grace that he had taught her.

"Whew!" Rose breathed. She gave Krauser a grin and slapped him a high five, "Nice work with the bowgun!"

He chuckled and nodded. "I do what I can."

Beth was driving toward a tunnel and her eyes snapped wide. "Oh shit! TUNNEL!" She looked up and shouted out to Wesker as loud as she could. "Wesker! Hit the deck!"

On the rooftop, Wesker heard her shout and looked up, just in time to see the tunnel coming up ahead. It was too much of a close call and he knew just by visual judgement alone that he would never be able to fit with the RV. He exhaled and looked annoyed.

"Damn ... " he murmured.

Inside the RV, the others grimaced from the sounds of stone grinding and bits of rubble raining down over the windshield. After minutes of passing through the tunnel, the heard a small knock at the side door and Rose quickly opened it. Wesker swung himself inside and landed onto two feet. Everyone stared at him worriedly to check for any serious injury and suddenly, a grin broke out on Rose's face.

Wesker's glasses had been smashed completely and his hair and jacket were slightly disheveled and out of place. His nose was smeared with a splatter of bright red blood and his lips cut. They would heal due to his body's natural regeneration process, but the sight of him standing there, pissed off and dirty was almost too much for Rose to bear.

She started laughing and even tried to hide it with one hand. Wesker arched one eyebrow at her and looked over at Beth. "Lovely driving skills," he said, sarcastically, "I applaud you."

Rose laughed even harder.

O

The worm continued its pursuit, determination in its movements and raw power. Beth tried to lose the mighty thing through an abandoned town where a few of the undead marched and plowed into them, taking no mind to anything save for abandoning this chase as soon as possible.

"Shit! This thing just won't quit!" Beth gasped.

The worm suddenly erupted from beneath the RV and Beth reacted just in time before it could flip the vehicle off of its wheels; she turned the steering wheel sharply to the left, and everyone felt the RV slowly begin to tip, but the force was not enough to knock it over entirely and the tires squealed as Beth rode the massive vehicle into a spinning 'donuts' before she finally stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" Jonas cried, glancing at her desperately.

"Yeah! Turning into food for the worms is not on the list of things to do, here!" Rose added, warily observing her friend.

"Look." Beth said, pointing out at the worm.

Everyone peered out through the windshield and noticed a rather peculiar behavior in the worm. It was no longer interested in them and simply remained in place, its body swaying back and forth, quivering like a bowl of jell-o. Its jaws remained closed and low, quiet hissing sound echoed out of it. It seemed to be waiting for something, but Wesker had never seen such creatures with a higher level of intelligence before.

"What's it doing?" Krauser whispered, "It's ... it's not attacking."

Wesker tilted his head to one side, studying the worm with vague interest. "Indeed not ... " he murmured, "I wonder ... Who drives this creature?" He glanced around the empty streets with a frown. "They would have to be ... close by."

"Someone actually controls this thing?" Jonas whispered, terrified.

Suddenly, the radio crackled and the sound of Chris Redfield's voice filled the air. All heads turned in its direction and neither one knew what to make of it at first. How Chris was able to locate their precise radio signal was beyond either of them. After all, this was a new RV and Chris couldn't possibly know anything about that.

_"Rose? Rose Bedford ... Jonas ... Anybody there? Do you copy?" _Chris said.

Wesker was the first to the radio before Beth could pick it up. He took hold of the small, corded device before pressing the SPEAK button on the side, a casual and sardonic tone to his voice.

"Yes, I copy," he said, calmly, "Identify yourself." He released the button.

_"Wesker, you know who this is!" _Chris spat.

He flashed a smile that was by no means amused, yet he got amusement out of tormenting Chris to sheer anger. "Oh! Chris Redfield. I'm so sorry about your associates' poor luck. Nothing is quite as sad as seeing a grown woman blubbering about how unfair her superiors are."

On the other end, Chris looked stunned by the remark and Jill looked absolutely furious. Jason was standing there as well and he looked like he was going to blow his top. How Wesker had known about that was simply beyond them all. He must have gotten some sort of hint at the corruption in the US government, otherwise, he never would have known.

"Listen, Wesker, you puny, fucking animal!" Jason shrieked, grabbing the radio from Chris before he could protest, _"When we find your ass, you'll be beggin' 'em for the electric chair!" _

Wesker's brows rose and he smirked at the threat, giving the others a look before he sounded serious this time. "Listen to me right now, Chris; I don't like him," he said, lowly, "If he speaks again, consider this conversation terminated." He paused for a brief second. "Come now, let's not behave so rashly. You and I both know why you contacted me."

Chris' eyes roved up to Jill reluctantly and he listened to the sound of Wesker's pleased chuckle that he was so famous for.

_"Clever, Chris, very clever. You traced our location near Tonica. Once Rose sent that message out, you were able to pinpoint our location nearby, thereby picking up on our radio signal."_

Chris closed his eyes, his Adam's Apple bobbing as he tried to calm himself down before associating with his enemy. "Alright, so you know the truth," he snapped, "Good for you. So what are you going to do about it?"

Wesker thought about that for a moment. Using Chris Redfield to get what he needed? Hm. Familiar, familiar ... And yet, even though it was an old concept, the idea here and now seemed so much better than before. After all, Chris needed his help to stop this man. _Chris Redfield _needed _his _help. Oh, he would never allow for the fool to hear the end of this.

"Here are the rules," Wesker told him, "First I ask you a question, you answer, and then you ask me a question and I will decide if you deserve an answer or not. You disagree with any of this and we end this conversation here and now. Understood?"

It was a long time before Chris responded and everyone in the Rv had slowly begun to wonder if he just hung up on the conversation all together. Outside, the worm still remained, body swaying back and forth. Jonas continued to watch the creature and wait for it to charge, but it didn't. It remained there, perfectly calm and perfectly quiet, save for a few hisses and gurgling sounds.

Finally, Chris answered and he sounded grudging. _"Fine. What's your question?"_

"What do you know about Spencer?" Wesker asked, "Your bulls must have uncovered the truth by now if you are chasing him as well. What have your learned so far?"

Chris paused over the radio. _"We don't entirely know that it is Ozwell E. Spencer,"_ he argued, _"All we do have is small bits of evidence. It's not enough to implicate Spencer and suggest that he's still alive."_

Wesker immediately knew for a fact that Chris was lying to him. Yet, he paused once and looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke. "I see. And what's your question?" he asked the man.

_"Where are you going with those people, Wesker?"_ Chris asked, the harshness in his voice back.

Wesker chuckled softly. "We're going to Six Flags," he sneered, "You should follow us and see for yourself."

"You're lying, Wesker!" Chris snapped, giving Jill a defeated look which she immediately countered with a shake of pity from her head. It was hopeless to try anything with him.

Wesker chuckled. "So are you, Chris," he answered, just before he disconnected the line between him and the BSAA agent.

Chris stared at the static-filled radio with shock and dismay, glancing up at Jill and Jason before shaking his head. He stood up and gave the radio a small punch before turning to them.

"Well, that was hopeless," Jill said, annoyed. She was still obviously somewhat irritated by Wesker's remark.

"So what are we going to do now?" Jason demanded, features flushed and his hair sticky with sweat. He struggled to get his voice together after that little shouting fiasco that he had done with Wesker.

"We'll follow him," Chris replied, calmly, "Whatever his intentions are, they're never good. I don't care if he's behind all of this or not. Wesker never does anything for the 'greater good'."

O

The worm slowly began to circle around the RV, its body jarring the vehicle and the individuals inside of it. Krauser cocked the bowgun and leveled it toward the ceiling, should the worm come crashing through it.

"This is nuts!" he whispered, his voice taut, "And I usually have such a VERY high tolerance for nuts."

The worm suddenly tossed back its great head and let out a bellowing, terrible roar that shattered the tranquil air. Everyone inside immediately covered their ears against the noise that seemed to last for several minutes until it finally stopped. The worm lowered its head at the sound of a high-pitched whistling off to the side and Wesker immediately opened the side door to see who was out there.

Standing outside near two overturned vehicles was a woman.

She was dressed in a gray casual dress suit and blouse, her short blonde hair covering the left side of her face and eye. She looked to be in her early 30's, late 20's and stood with a certain calm and arrogant grace about her. She seemed to be unfazed by the sight of the worm there and Wesker instantly suspected that she was the one who sent it after them.

"Who the hell are you?" Rose called out to her, "What the fuck are you doing?"

The woman knotted her brows and she had a very attractive way about doing so. When she spoke, her slightly accented English voice practically rang like brass bells.

"Ohh...did my pet misbehave again?" she crooned.

Wesker was instantly reminded of Excella Gionne when the woman spoke for the very first time. Come to think of it, now that he had gotten a good enough look at her, she resembled the woman of his past almost perfectly. The face features were angular and smooth like Excella's had been and she had long, tipped fingernails; to any man, this would be a very attractive quality in a woman. Her right eye was a dark shade of blue. If the eyes could carry you into a person's soul, Wesker knew that he would find nothing but perpetual darkness when he stared into that single, dimmed orb.

"Who are you?" Rose demanded, again.

The woman immediately snapped her fingers and the massive worm slowly unraveled its coiled body, burrowing itself off to the side while she approached the RV. She chuckled softly and stopped a few feet away as everyone began to pour from the vehicle with their weapons of every shape and size clenched tightly in their hands.

"I am Minerva Lewis," she announced, as if her name itself was a thing for all to be proud of, "In my old life, I was the senator of this fine state of Arkansas. And yet..." When she locked gazes with Wesker, her eye seemed to grow darker and her voice changed, dropping into a pitch where all was hatred. "I seem to recall you very well indeed..."

Wesker chuckled softly, mockingly. "Please, don't flatter yourself, woman," he sneered, "If you had been in a part of my life in any way shape or form, I would have remembered."

Minerva shook her head, a look of deep thought crossing her features. Finally, her eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together. "I have come all this way to give you a small warning, dear friends," she told them, "Stay away from Mr. Spencer and his place of work. Also, he has sent me here to deliver a friendly message, especially one for Rose."

At the mention of her name, Rose reacted and the others looked back at her. "Yeah?" she growled, "What kind of message does that old fart want to deliver to me? He run out of grown up diapers?"

Jonas and Krauser snickered loudly at the joke and Beth let out a quick bark of laughter. Wesker, however looked slightly pained, as if he was trying to resist the urge to smile as well.

"Rose, play nice ... " Wesker chided, quietly.

Minerva laughed as well. "My, my, you certainly have quite a mouth, just as he said," she sneered, "Perhaps I should teach you a lesson on how to respect those who are superior to you!"

"And perhaps you should think twice before threatening those you know little about!" Wesker countered, cracking his knuckles into tight fists.

Minerva's brows went up. "Oh dear, seems to me that you all really deserve a lesson in manners," she said, her hands moving behind her back. When she held them out again, they had suddenly combusted into flaming balls of fire.

O

_Note- _This chapter is entitled 'From Hell' due to the nature of the situation involving the burrowing worm. In the beginning of this story, you probably recall that remnants of Excella's body had been found. Can ya' put two and two together? LOL.


	41. Chapter 41: The She Viper

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-One: ****The She-Viper**

_Haleside, Arkansas_

She was infected.

Wesker knew immediately by the sight of the glowing flames searing her very arms that she was infected with the t-Veronica virus. Whoever this woman was had to have been in a cryosleep for 15 years to adapt to the mutation changes that would be taking place inside of her body. It was the only possible way for her to have complete control over it without being shredded from the inside out. Now it was just a matter of taking her out before she could advance her forms.

Minerva's clothes slowly burned away into crumbling ashes around her feet, just like Alexia Ashford's had done when Wesker had confronted her on Rockfort Island. Minerva's eyes flickered from their dark, dead pools to bright red; her hands were sprouting long, jagged claws and her flesh slowly changing of color. Only instead of the pale greenish tinge like Alexia's, her skin became a sickly gray.

"Holy shit ... " Jonas whispered, stunned.

Minerva smiled at them and she chuckled, a delicate ringing sound. "Come, let us play!" she crooned.

Rose was the first to charge for her. This surprised Wesker and the others because she was usually one to plan a form of attack before she downright went in without thinking. Minerva raised a single hand and sent a splash of red liquid directly for Rose's face. It struck her dead aim and the woman lurched from the assault. She stared down at her own hands in surprise before she looked back up at Minerva. The woman smirked at her and suddenly, the liquid that had hit Rose burst into flames, igniting her entire upper body.

Rose's scream was horrible and she dropped to her knees, struggling to shake the fire from her body. Her flesh had started to blister and her clothes burning away. After a few brief moments of struggle, the fire began to diminish and Minerva grabbed Rose's chin, forcing her to look up into her eyes. The mutated being cocked her head to one side, watching Rose's blistered features as they slowly began to recover.

"You may have the gift to heal everything that I give to you," she sneered, "But you do not have the skill to beat me."

Rose swung her fist through the air, punching Minerva clear in the jaw. The woman lurched back, holding her lip, which began to trickle with blood. She looked up at Rose, who stood up and the others had their weapons locked onto her.

"Then bring it on, bitch!" Rose shouted.

Minerva smirked at her and suddenly, she began to spit her blood directly at them. They scattered to avoid the flaming balls of fire consisting of her own combustible blood. They ducked behind an abandoned shed and Wesker peered over the corner to see what the woman was doing. After watching her for a few moments, he looked at the others.

"We cannot reach the RV with that woman and the worm watching out for us," he told them, "We need a backup plan for this, to distract her while Rose and I take her out. Who's going to have the pleasure of being the live bait?" He smiled and watched as Beth and Krauser took two tentative steps back away from Jonas, leaving him to look around in confusion. Wesker grinned. "Ah! Jonas. Thank you for volunteering!"

The smaller man looked from one face to the next and knew that he was selected for the job. "Goddamn it..." he muttered, miserably.

O

Minerva turned at the sight of Jonas stepping out from the corner of the building. She smirked at him and raised her hands, cradling the balls of flame within them. He was trembling in terror and grinning at her.

"H - Hey!" he called, "If you're so hot, then why don't you come and get me!" He turned and ran.

Minerva watched as he ducked behind a car. She smirked dryly at this action and her eyes roved about. _Silly little boy, _she thought, _Does he really believe that I am so gullible? Still, it would be amusing to see just how far their little scheme will go._

And so, she flung a blast of fire directly at the car Jonas was hiding behind. It burst into flames and Jonas immediately raced away from it to find a new place to hide. Minerva slowly followed him, laughing quietly.

"Oh, you are cute, little boy," she crooned, "But you are not very bright, are you?"

Jonas was hiding behind a tower of barrels, panting desperately with his chest heaving in and out; Minerva was slowly closing in on him when she sensed Rose's presence as she surged toward her as silent as air and as fast as lightning. But she moved just as quick, spinning around and catching her wrist before she could deliver a death blow.

Rose grunted and struggled against the other woman, her strength nearly matching her own. She swung her other arm, but Minerva blocked it with her free arm as well in a full grapple technique. Both women snarled at one another, glowering with their fiery red eyes to see who would falter first. Minerva smirked at her and tilted her head to one side.

"You are strong," she sneered, "For some little clown who thinks that she is the Mother of Genesis!"

Rose hissed furiously at her. "I am not the Mother of Genesis!" she shouted at her, through grunts of effort, "I am... Rose Bedford!" She watched Wesker slowly rise from behind the tower of barrels with a Magnum aimed directly for the woman. She smirked at Minerva. "And you're fucked." With that, she disengaged herself from the woman, just as Wesker pulled the trigger.

Blast after blast shattered Minerva's body, tearing the flesh and bone of her back, legs and head. The sickening wet sounds of hot, burning metal shredding through flesh and her quick wails of pain were the only sounds that resonated through the air. Her blood splashed all around her in a sick, crimson pool. Groaning, she staggered back from the advancing, armed individuals. She grinned at them, a thin sliver of blood dangling from her parted lips.

"I can't lose! Not to you!" she hissed, her chest heaving.

The blood that pooled around her suddenly ignited into a wall of flames, preventing them from reaching her as she took several steps away, holding her stomach with one hand and laughing cruelly. Wesker glowered menacingly at her, his features glowing against the backdrop of the flames. Behind Minerva, the great worm slithered its way toward her.

"You see, Veronica cannot be destroyed as you so foolishly thought so, Albert!" she whispered, her once brassy bell-like voice now rattling like that of a snake, "You cannot kill what cannot be destroyed!" Towering above her in all its glory, the great worm's jaws opened with a bellowing shriek to follow. "Witness the true power of what Veronica is really capable of!"

Rose's eyes snapped wide when she realized what the worm was going to do. "NO!" she shouted.

The great worm's entire mouth came down onto Minerva, seemingly swallowing her whole and burrowing its way underground once more.

O

It was silent.

Everyone looked around the area, scanning for the location of the Gulp Worm, but all was still. They moved toward the burrow hole where it had disappeared and cast their eyes down into pitch blackness.

"Is it gone?" Beth whispered, warily.

Wesker tilted his head to one side, observing the darkness for a few, tense moments before his lips slowly parted and his eyes widened slightly. "No ... " he whispered back.

After a few brief moments, the ground beneath their feet had started shaking violently. Krauser looked at Wesker with shock. "What's going on, boss?" he demanded, "Is she changing her forms?"

Wesker didn't have time to respond because the ground was splitting in two. A massive shape suddenly erupted from the earth; it was the worm, only its entire body had changed. Instead of the brown skin and plump body, it had changed now to a sickly grey with patches of scales that had opened up around it. Its head was more slender and streamlined, like that of a serpent. It still had no eyes and nostrils, but a crest of bone and whip-like appendages had formed around its neck and face. Tiny, very tiny arms had sprouted from the side with little claws.

A wicked, garbled laugh filled the air and the jaws parted, revealing a living, writhing shape in the very center. It was Minerva and nearly her entire, naked form had been assimilated into pink flesh. Her face was covered in slimy green patches and the part of hair that covered her eye had raised itself and solidified to resembled a great wing. Her left eye did not match her right eye; it was a bright green while the other was a glowing red.

"Oh my God!" Rose shouted.

Minerva's voice had changed; it was no longer brassy and beautiful, but throaty and inhuman. "What do you think of me now, Mother of Genesis?" she shouted, with glee.

Rose chuckled nastily, regaining her senses. "Do you really want me to answer that?" she sneered.

Minerva simply smirked, the worm body beneath her moved with her single formed thoughts. "Oh, I'm hurt, here, in my heart," she crooned, pointing to what was left of her chest, "Not usually my most vulnerable spot. I recognize you, Rose."

"Then I guess we have to find where that spot is!" Krauser shouted up to her.

Minerva snarled and swung one of the tendrils directly at them. Everyone ducked out of the way to avoid being hit, except for Wesker. He purely jumped into the air as the tendril swished beneath his feet. While the others took cover, he cocked his head up at Minerva, hoping to get some kind of information out of the woman before she would perish.

"So ... at last we finally meet, mighty Albert Wesker," she crooned, circling him like a vulture to the kill, "He said you were the best, the very key to the future of this world."

Wesker tilted his head with a smirk. "Indeed I am," he replied, "But it stands to question: What part do you play in all of this?"

"Me?" Minerva crooned, "I am your Executioner!"

She dove for him with a screaming roar and Wesker jumped into the air, seizing a tendril and clinging to it for all his worth. While he struggled to stay on the creature, the others watched the scene from a distance, plotting a way to take the monster out. Rose looked thoughtful for a long time, removing her burned jacket, wearing nothing but her black tank top beneath; she could always go for the source - - the woman herself - - but she was protected by the solid, powerful head of the worm, so that was a no - go.

"We have to find the weak spot," Krauser told them, "With Veronica, there's always a weak spot."

Rose looked at him curiously. "You've faced Veronica before?" she asked.

"Yeah. Mission in South America," Krauser replied, looking at each curious face staring at him, "Kennedy and I were on a mission and we had to face one of these things. Bigger and ten times badder than this."

Rose flashed a grin. "Alright! Well, let's leave it to you, then!"

O

Wesker struggled to keep himself on the screaming, bucking worm. A tentacle wrapped itself around his waist and yanked him off, lifting him toward Minerva's grinning, drooling features.

"Hmph, some great being you are!" she sneered, "You are nothing but a little chew toy to me!"

Wesker smirked dryly at her. "I suppose every dog needs a toy to play with, don't they!" he shot back, quickly drawing a knife from his boot and slicing the tentacles clean in half, dropping from the air and landing gracefully onto his feet.

Minerva wailed in pain, the tentacle stump flailing about, spewing steaming green fluid. As she began to regain her senses, she glowered down at Wesker with a furious snarl.

"You'll pay for that!" she raged.

Suddenly, the great worm dropped its head forward, jaws closing in on the woman as its lower head began to split two ways, revealing several pulsating red sacs. They suddenly ruptured, sending liquid splashing across Wesker's jacket as he raised a hand toward his face to prevent the fluid from hitting anything sensitive. With a furious grunt, he yanked the jacket from his body as quickly as possible before the acidic-like qualities of the fluid could eat him alive. He drew out his Magnum and fired shot after shot for the sensitive sacs of red, pursing his lips tightly with fury.

"The sacs!" Rose whispered, watching as the worm shrieked and the folds of flesh covered the sacs once more, "Shoot for the sacs!"

"Okay, and how would you like me to do that ... ?" Krauser asked, staring at her skeptically.

Rose looked thoughtful for a moment before she smiled, summing up a plan in her head just as quickly. "Okay, Wesker's got her distracted, so I'm going to run up along her back, force the flaps open and you take a hit at them with the bow gun. That should do it."

She stood up and Beth grabbed her wrist. "You sure about this, Rose?" she asked, worriedly.

"Nope." Rose answered, rushing off to join Wesker.

Wesker glanced over at the corner of his eye, watching as Rose jumped into the air and seized a small tentacle, scaling up the length of the worm's great back. Minerva looked back at her with a snarl of fury. The great worm shrieked and bucked like a thing possessed, trying to toss her off of it. Rose swung her entire body up in one fell swing, wrapping her legs around a single bone protrusion. She dangled upside down, grabbing a knife from her boot and sliding it into the closed flaps.

The flesh was tough there and difficult for her to maneuver into as the worm continue to try and toss her. The tentacles slapped at her face and back, sending nothing but sharp pain shooting through her entire body. Something ripped and it took Rose a second to realize that it had been her shirt. The tentacles had sliced her clothing and drew fresh wounds.

She winced in pain, swinging her body upwards to a proper sitting position against the worm's back and she sliced into the opening, pulling it open as far as she could manage while still struggling to keep a perfect balance on the writhing creature. The glowing sacs appeared and she looked over at Krauser desperately, unable to hold on for very much longer.

"Do it now!" she shouted, over the roar of the worm, "Take the shot! Take it _now_!"

Krauser acknowledged, took aim with his bow gun and fired. A blinking red dart embedded itself into the fleshy sacs and Rose jumped off of the worm inches before its head erupted in a fiery explosion of gore and chunks. Wesker hurried out of the way to avoid being crushed by the screaming, collapsing worm that landed in the very spot that he had previously occupied.

O

Everyone circled the sputtering, gasping torso of Minerva as she writhed and moaned inside the dead worm. Her body was gushing with blood from various wounds that had appeared over her chest and neck. She looked up at them and her eyes grew wide, almost as if she wasn't looking at them anymore. There was an insanity there that was not there before. Something about it was different this time; more primal...more frightened, like that of a wounded animal.

"Y - You can't ... " she breathed, panting, "You can't!"

Wesker looked down at her coldly. "Sorry, but I can and I will," he told her, "But before you're nothing but a cold, dead corpse for the birds, you are going to tell us what we need to know."

Minerva grinned at him, laughing insanely, her teeth shining with blood. Suddenly, her eyes snapped wide once more and her laughter died away into terrified, choking sobbing sounds. But she didn't seem to be looking at Wesker.

"N - No ... He killed me!" she whimpered, hysterical with terror and some other form of unnamed emotion, "My ... My father is dead! He's dead! Albert ... Why? Why have you killed my father? No ... Oh God ... that's not my father! He's not my father!"

Krauser looked over at Wesker with a confused frown. "Uh ... boss?" he said, "I think we're losing her."

Wesker pressed his boot down onto Minerva's fingers and she wailed in agony, but not to the feel of her fingers being crushed. Tears of blood began to gush from her closed eyelids. She was sobbing with great sorrow and pain as jagged flashes of memories filled her tormented mind. The arrogance was gone and there was only remnants of a forgotten woman there; or fragments of a lie.

"Oh God ... !" she wailed, "Noo ... It's - it's not him ... !"

_There was a flash of a man standing there inside a darkened room, barely illuminated by a small light overhead._

"N - No ... Nonononono!"

_The same smiling man's face from Raccoon City began to alter and change, move about as if he were submerged underwater until he became a red-eyed man with white hair that was combed back in the same manner as Wesker's except with tiny bangs that dangled over his forehead. In fact, he looked like Wesker in every way save for small wrinkles and slightly tipped canine teeth that appeared when he grinned broadly._

Minerva continued sobbing with torment, her body spasming with its final dying movements. "G - God!" she bawled, "It - It's not Spencer! Not SPENCER!"

Wesker and the others reacted with shock and horror at the revelation. Wesker didn't know what to think about that right now. He took a brief moment to collect his thoughts before he knelt down to her, grabbing her head with one hand and forcing her to look at him.

"The one behind this isn't Ozwell E. Spencer?" he demanded, "Who is it, then? WHO?"

"I ... I ... " the woman tried, through her haze of delirium.

Wesker shook her harshly by the jaw. "SPEAK, DAMN YOU!" he spat.

Minerva choked and gurgled, her eyes rolling up into her head before every inch of her body gave out in the final throes of death. Wesker stared at the dead woman for a mere second before he snarled and dropped hr to the ground in her own blood, rising and giving the dead worm a fierce kick. The others reacted with surprise at his actions and were wary of they should even speak.

"We've been played this whole time!" Wesker raged, punching his fist into the worm's fleshy body, coming back with a handful of guts and slime. "The whole time!" He snarled. "THE WHOLE TIME!"

But Jonas dared to do speak. "So ... what do we do now?" he stammered.

Wesker was breathing furiously through his nostrils until he took a deep sigh to calm himself. He straightened himself up and smoothed his hair back with two hands, despite the slime that had drenched him from the elbow down. He slowly turned to Rose and gestured to the corpse of Minerva, his features forced into a collected expression.

"I want you to collect a sample of her blood," he ordered, "You will run some test on it to check for any abnormalities while I try to figure out why this woman had two different kinds of memories."

Rose stared at him in disbelief, but nonetheless, she began to trot toward the RV. "How do you know that she had two memories?"

Wesker and the others followed her. He spoke and his voice sounded strained, almost as if he was on the verge of a breakdown. "She spoke through the memories of Miss Gionne. Her memories could have been tampered with during her cryostasis, but I want to check to be sure. Somehow, at the precise point of death she believed that she was Excella Gionne."

"Why would this guy do that?" Rose asked, taking no insult to his sudden interest with Excella. She picked up a small glass jar where she could store the blood for later.

"I don't know," Wesker growled, hands clenched at his sides, "I don't even know who this new enemy could be. It seemed as if he cleansed her mind somehow to make her believe that he was Spencer when the entire time, he had been an imposter - - Krauser, start the engine! - - feeding our suspicions with enough evidence to implicate a dead man."

Krauser was already in the driver's seat as Wesker finished, starting the engine up. Rose hurried outside to the corpse of the worm, scooping up some of the blood and gore into the jar. She grimaced with disgust and screwed the lid on shut before walking back toward the RV.

"I hope you're right!" she called, to Wesker, "I really do!"

Jonas tilted his head with a faint smile as Rose stepped onto the RV and shut the door. She wiped the edges of the jar, wincing as she got some of the sticky goo on her fingers."You will remember to wash your hands before you eat anything?"

_El Dorado, Arkansas_

_BSAA Headquarters_

"All right, let's go!"

"All right, we're movin'!"

Everyone scrambled to pack everything into trucks, Hummers and various other BSAA labeled vehicles. Claire jumped into the driver's seat of the vehicle that she had gotten from Ivan and his buddies while Leon took a spot in the passenger's side. Claire looked up at the sight of Ivan approaching her. He waited for a moment before smiling.

"You are ready for this?" he asked.

Claire nodded right back and smirked. "Always ready."

Ivan chuckled deeply in his chest, highly impressed with the woman's bravado before he turned to his men and gave a low, bellowing shout of motivation to them to prepare and psychologically endow them for what was to come. "Подготовитесь, мужчины! Поскольку это - наш самый прекрасный час!"

The Russians had started climbing into their vehicles before they gave glorious war shouts at Ivan's declaration, thrusting their weapons high into the air. The BSAA members actually smiled at this little moment between Ivan and his men, seemingly a little more at ease with the bizarre group by their side. Jason simply shook his head with a small laugh.

"Well, there goes the neighborhood ... " he murmured.

The Russians looked at him and laughed with the BSAA members.

"Похожий, что я могу приобрести квалификацию американских вооруженных сил в конце концов!" Mikhail added, laughing, and the Russians laughed harder with him.

After the small, warm moment, everyone went back to work throwing stuff into cars and trucks.

"Hey, Valentine, a little help?" a man shouted.

Jill rushed at his side and helped him at heaving a crate of ammunition into the back of his Hummer. She tilted her head when she suddenly realized that they were adding in more ammo than what they had initially been authorized for.

"Common, Chris, you're always the last one to go!" Claire shouted, after her brother.

Chris jumped into a Hummer and Jill gave Jason a look before she would join her partner. "Hey, you told us that we weren't authorized for any more weapons and men," she proclaimed, "How were you able to get away with this?"

Jason smiled at her and shook his head. He took a quick intake of breath before he spoke. "I guess I don't care anymore."

Jill seemed relieved and gratified by his response all the more just from hearing it alone. She chuckled and shook hands with him before speaking sincerely. "Thank you, Jason," she told him, "For everything. When we finally get back ... "

"I don't really expect you to come back," he interrupted, calmly and sadly, still smiling, "I guess I just have to be prepared for anything right now. That my best soldiers and dearest friends will not come back alive, no matter how much I want them to."

Jill nodded. "I understand," she replied, forcing a hot lump down her throat, "I guess ... if we do ... I'll see you later then." She turned and ran for Chris' vehicle, jumping inside and shutting the door behind her.

Jason gave each and every driver a quick salute as they poured out of the gates and into the darkened highway. He exhaled and shook his head. Faith had all but left him by now and he had nothing left but to wait for the inevitable end.

Inside Ivan's truck, he was cursing at Mikhail, thrusting a folded map in his face as the man drove.

"Вы сворачивали карты снова." he said, exasperated.

Mikhail stared at him in protest, shrugging his shoulders. "Я не сделал! Вопль в Боскове для этого! Он - человек карты!" he insisted.

Ivan rolled his eyes. "Это - всегда ошибка Боскова для со складками карт, не так ли?"

"Да!" Mikhail snapped, glaring at him.

"Вы скулите как моя бабушка! Даже если я никогда не знал, кем она была!" Ivan barked.

Claire's voice filled their radio. _"Um, boys?" _she said, laughing.

Ivan gave Mikhail a look before he picked up the speaker of the CB radio and pressed SPEAK. "Yes, ma'am?" he answered, feigning innocence.

_"Are you two gonna spend this whole trip playing house or are you gonna show us where to find this guy?" _Claire asked, laughing.

"Whatever you wish, however you wish..." Ivan answered, a smirk in his voice. He hung up his end of the line before giving Mikhail a curious look, watching the man grimace slightly. "What?"

"You are flirting with American girl," Mikhail said, unable to resist a laugh.

"You joke!" Ivan barked, blushing slightly.

On the other end of the line, Claire could still hear them arguing in snippets of Russian before she laughed and hung up her end, looking at Leon. "Ivan is kind of cute, huh?" she said.

"I guess so." Leon sounded displeased with the behavior on the other end.

"Oh, lighten up!" Claire said, laughing.

The caravan passed down the silent and desolate road, leading into the unknown and new dangers that they would surely face, but face them together they would. Because unbeknownst to them, they were chasing the wrong man.

O

_Note_- A cruel man they are dealing with... Stay tuned!

1. Подготовитесь, мужчины! Поскольку это - наш самый прекрасный час!-Prepare yourselves, men! For this is our finest hour!

2. Похожий, что я могу приобрести квалификацию американских вооруженных сил в конце концов!-Looks like I may qualify for the American military after all!

3. Вы сворачивали карты снова.-You folded the maps again.

4. Я не сделал! Вопль в Боскове для этого! Он - человек карты!-I did not! Yell at Boscov for that! He is the map man!

5. Это - всегда ошибка Боскова для со складками карт, не так ли?-It is always Boscov's fault for creased maps, isn't it?

6. Да!-Yes!

7. Вы скулите как моя бабушка! Даже если я никогда не знал, кем она была!-You whine like my grandmother! Even if I never knew who she was!


	42. Chapter 42: Alternative Solutions

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Two: Alternative Solutions**

_Pine Bluff, Arkansas_

Rose had her face buried in notes and her microscope. She was watching Minerva's cells moving ever so slowly beneath the slide and she continued to take notes each time she took a glance in the small lens. Wesker was pacing around her and he seemed slightly antsy about Rose's final results. After a moment of listening to the squeaking sounds of his boots, she scowled back at him.

"Would you stop pacing around me like that?" she snapped, "You're making me dizzy!"

"Well, I would love to have your final results by this day and age, Rose!" Wesker growled, stopping long enough to lean down over her.

Rose mocked his sentence in a high falsetto voice, mocking him completely. "'I would love to have your final results by this day and age, Rose'." She spoke normally now. "You know, I am not getting anywhere with you dictating me."

Wesker exhaled and relaxed somewhat. Maybe he had been a little on edge for a while now. After all, a simple losing his 'cool' was what got him killed in the first place. He would have to relax and play this as he always had in the past: With the proper coordinated strategy and keeping two steps ahead of everyone else, including this new unnamed foe. A foe, for a while now, he had thought was Spencer.

"Alright, then," he agreed, "Let's take a break from this and talk about something else."

Interest slightly piqued despite her mood so far, Rose drew her attention away from the microscope and turned in her chair to look directly at him. "Okay, I guess that's alright."

"I spoke with Oluchi while you ... ahem ... took care of business with your past affairs," Wesker began, "He was explaining to me about something that hadn't really crossed my mind up until now. It's about our blood."

"What about it?" Rose asked, shrugging.

"When I injected you that day that you were close to your death, I had no time to run proper tests," Wesker explained, "I chanced it all in one shot; I took you being a Wesker specimen into consideration. I think that the reason that we craved each other physically that ... evening ... was due to the connection in our blood. I want to try some tests once Krauser returns from the hospital with what I requested."

Rose wanted to argue with his analysis, but then, a thought crossed her mind. No, make that a devious little idea. She smiled at him, trying to keep the cunning tone at a minimum so that he wouldn't catch on. So, that was going to be his excuse, eh? Well, she would just have to put that to the test. After all, he had found her jealousy amusing. Who was to say that he didn't have a little bit of it as well?

"Okay, that sounds fair," she replied, "But I want Krauser and Jonas with us while we perform the tests."

Wesker's eyes darkened for a brief second before he frowned at her, tilting his head to one side like a hawk surveying a mouse. A _very _clever and sneaky little mouse. "Why?"

Rose chuckled and stood up, her voice absolutely dripped with cunning. "What's wrong with that?" she asked.

"This has nothing to do with them," Wesker said, and his voice had dropped a register to show that he was getting angry.

Rose pricked her chin up slyly. It was something that she had never done before and she found that the more she goaded him, the greater it felt. She had never known the pleasure of being a ... well ... a tease than right now with him.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to let them help, now would it?" Rose suggested.

Wesker glared at her impatiently, but said nothing more.

O

Beth sat on the roof of the RV with a hunting rifle cradled in her lap. She casually swung her leg back and forth over the edge of the roof while every once in a while, she would take a drink from a glass bottle at her side. She spotted two lumbering forms moving toward the vehicle. Tilting her head to one side, Beth flashed a smile. Two zombies were coming her way. They had obviously seen the light from the RV and came to investigate.

"Alright, boys," she murmured, readying her weapon, "Today's a bad day to be a dead guy."

She brought her eye to the scope and took aim. After waiting a few moments to be sure of the shot, she squeezed the trigger. A single shell blasted directly between the eyes of the zombies; it passed through the first zombie's head and directly out of the skull of the second one. Beth's eyes grew wide in amazement at the perfect shot of 'killing - two - birds - with - one - stone' before she laughed.

"No way I'd be able to do that a second time!" she said, to herself.

Inside the RV, Krauser was setting up two monitors and other machines while Rose was in the bathroom doing something that no one was aware of. Wesker was watching the battery light to make sure that they did not overuse any energy. Jonas was sitting in front of the computers to monitor any abnormalities in Wesker's or Rose's blood once she was ready to take a sample.

"Rose!" Jonas hollered, back to her, "We're ready for you!"

Rose stepped out of the bathroom while Wesker instructed Krauser with what to do next after they took samples. "I want all of this carefully monitored," he told him, "I then want you to locate any car batteries that you can tomorrow morning. This equipment is very important to our mission as is the mode of transport. We will cut back on energy consumption to only our basic needs rather than our simplest of pleasures."

Jonas caught that and groaned loudly, reaching for a wrapped pastry while he spoke. "Are you serious?" he protested, unwrapping, "That's the only kind of pleasure that keeps us sane!"

"And the only kind destined to kill us!" Wesker hissed, glaring down at him, "We must focus on top priorities rather than our own insignificant delights." His glare intensified as Jonas slowly brought the pastry to his lips. "Like the useless trash that you shovel into your gaping trap!" He swung his hand up and knocked the treat from Jonas' hands, sending it to the floor.

"B - But ... " Jonas stammered.

Wesker inhaled deeply through his nostrils, a warning indication of his rising frustration and Jonas immediately hushed up. "While this may seem less than fair to the rest of you, I believe it's more than reasona ... " He trailed himself off as he now noticed Rose walking passed him, wearing a thick, fluffy bathrobe around her. He had to guess that she was wearing nothing beneath it. " ... ble."

Rose took a spot into a chair and smiled up at Krauser, slowly dropping the robe down her shoulders. She was naked, as Wesker had suspected. Krauser's jaw nearly dropped and his brows shot up. He had almost lost his grip on the box in his hand.

"Well?" Rose said, smiling at him, "Let's do this."

"Um ... Rose, you ... Uh ... " Krauser tried, keeping his eyes averted from her naked form, "You really don't have to ... "

Rose shrugged her shoulders and continued that perfectly calm smile. She watched Wesker's reaction from the corner of her eyes. His features were almost neutral, save for a slight widening of his eyes behind his glasses. He couldn't believe what she was doing, exposing her breasts to them.

"It's okay, Krauser," she told him, "I have nothing to hide from any of you. After all, we're all friends here."

Jonas had his eyes covered with one hand and his cheeks were slightly pink. "Rose ... we've been friends for 10 years and I've never seen you naked!" he stammered, embarrassed.

Rose shrugged one shoulder. She was acting so passive and content with the idea of being exposed like this, but inside, her heart was pounding a mile a minute. Rose had never done anything like this before, but she was desperate for some form of satisfaction in knowing that she could make Wesker even a fraction jealous to the whole thing.

Krauser cleared his throat professionally and began to place a blue band around her wrist connected with two wires that lead to the machine in front of Jonas. Rose jumped slightly.

"Damn, your hands are cold!" she exclaimed, laughing.

Krauser glanced up at her with a forced smile. "I guess it's just because you're so hot," he told her. After a moment, he realized what he said and blinked rapidly. "Uh ... I didn't mean it like ... "

Rose grinned. "It's cool. I know what you meant." She rubbed her wrist while Krauser readied a syringe in his hands. "My body temperature did change when I lost my humanity."

"That's normal, Rose," Wesker snapped. His voice sounded strained, as if he was at his breaking point.

"Ah. Good to know," Rose pricked her chin up defiantly and cast a glance over at Jonas while Krauser prepared to insert the needle into her wrist and into a vein. "After we take my blood sample, I want to see how Wesker's blood reacts when brought close to mine."

Jonas nodded and kept his gaze locked firmly to the computer screen. "Okay ... vitals are excellent ... " he read, "Blood pressure is ... " He blinked and his eyes slowly widened. "180 - 110. Whoa, that's insane!" He glanced at her curiously and worriedly. "Rose, that's not normal! Are you feeling different at all?"

Rose smiled calmly. "Nope."

"It is not entirely unusual for a member of my ... distinct blood type to possess a high blood pressure count than any other human would have," Wesker interjected, his eyes locked firmly onto Rose, "Although, even _I _can agree that it's higher than what I have ever had." He cocked his head and added snidely. "Anything bothering you ... Rose?"

Jonas continued to read the data out loud. "S - D Delta ... 70!" he gasped, "MAP readings ... 133! ... Sodium readings ... "

Rose inhaled when she felt the tip of the needle pressing against her flesh. She smiled up at Krauser. "Why don't you try for my jugular?" she suggested, "It's the closet to the surface and the easiest to access. You won't have to worry about me bleeding to death."

Krauser glanced over his shoulder to Wesker and he could read the grim irritation there in his boss' expression. After a brief moment, he brought the needle up to Rose's throat, where she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Krauser grasped her chin with one hand to hold her steady while he slid the needle into her flesh and pierced the vein there.

Rose inhaled deeply through her nose. Well, that wasn't the most comfortable feeling she had ever felt. She dared a small glance over at Wesker; his lips were set tight into a thin line and he looked like he wanted to rip Krauser from her. Good. That was the reaction that she was hoping to get out of him. It didn't matter if it was a small sign; the fact that he looked even the _slightest _bit envious was good enough for her.

Once Krauser was finished and the syringe was filled with Rose's blood, he brought the sample to Jonas. The smaller man prepared a slide and injected a small portion of her blood onto it.

"Rose?" Jonas said, not looking up from the screen, "You can ... uh ... get dressed now ... "

Rose nodded in acknowledgement and stood up. She gave Wesker a sly smirk before brushing passed him to the back of the RV. He watched her go with a scowl on his face. Whatever purpose there was for exposing herself to everyone ... he didn't know. She was just doing it to possibly rile his temper. Rose never did anything deliberate, he had learned. Everything she did carried a reason behind it.

"Wesker ... " Jonas whispered, his voice amazed, "Check this out."

Wesker snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention to the computer screen. He was watching Rose's blood cells moving all around on the screen. They were mostly human red save for a black - orange substance that had stained them almost completely. The cells moved wildly about, crashing into each other but at a still steady pace.

"Now watch what happens when I add a drop of your blood to Rose's ... " Jonas told him, lifting a tiny eyedropper filled with Wesker's blood, which was slightly darker in color than Rose's sample.

He dropped a small portion into the slide. Wesker observed his blood as it swarmed like a typhoon all over Rose's cells. They were darker in pigment to hers and the black substance swarmed within like that of a ticking time bomb. Suddenly, just as he was sure it would devour hers, it seemed to calm and Rose's cells began to latch onto his own. Wesker blinked in amazement as Rose's blood cells seemed to devour the raging black mass one by one. While the peculiar tint to his blood was still there, what gave him his dependency on the serum injections was slowly being destroyed by Rose's blood.

That had always been a concern of Wesker's lately as well; despite his immediate recovery upon Rose's ship and no problems that had occurred since then, he had always doubted about having a "fit" and slowly becoming consumed by it. But here ... It seemed that this impressive immunity of Rose's that Todd had spoke of was not an exaggeration after all.

"Rose, you gotta see this!" Jonas called back to the woman.

Rose walked up to him, fully clothed in blue jeans and a black tank top. She gave Wesker a smirk before looking down at the screen. The cell activity fascinated her, led her to question that maybe Todd had been correct after all about her family's 'special immunity'.

"So what does this mean?" Rose asked, looking at Jonas.

Wesker spoke before he could, not looking at her, but she could hear a perpetual edge to his voice. "It means that your blood has the capability of destroying whatever...downsides my unique being may possess," he answered, "It's quite ironic, really."

She turned gave him a mocking smile. Something about his tone told her that there was a brief hint of frustration because she was superior to him; to a cellular degree anyway. It was an almost, _no_, it was a delightful thing indeed. "Is that a fact?" she sneered, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that pisses you off a little bit; I might just be better than you after all!"

Wesker studied her calmly through narrowed eyes. "Then I'd say that you know nothing except your own presumptuous ideas!" he drawled, "Although I will confess that your blood would be of some use to all of us here."

Jonas nodded his head in agreement, rising slowly from his chair. "He's got a point, Rose," he told her, "It would be awesome if we were able to make an antidote from your blood." He stopped long enough to watch her thoughtful reaction. ""I mean, up to you, but if it works out, we could probably cure the people who are out there. The walking dead!"

Rose thought about being able to help the people of this world. If successful, her blood could possibly create an antidote for all of this. It was a radical idea on its own and she was doubtful of its success. But even so...there was that faint glimmer of hope that she couldn't let go of.

O

Meanwhile, a mile down the road, the BSAA and Russian convoy was slowly drawing close to the RV. Chris pointed one finger at the parked vehicle and glanced over at Jill quickly.

"There they are," he said, "Pull in slowly so they don't think we're trying to gang up on them."

"Huh." Jill scoffed, amused, "Knowing Wesker that would be a little hard."

Beth rose from her spot and climbed down the side of the vehicle, gun at the ready should she need to use it. She tilted her head to one side, trying to decide who this band of individuals were and if they'd pose any kind of challenge to them at all.

"Hey, Rose! Wesker!" she shouted, beating on the side door with one fist, "Get out here! We got company!"

After a few moments, the door flew open and Wesker stepped outside. He smiled and uttered a closed - mouth chuckle at the sight of Chris in the passenger seat and Jill at the wheel, leading the convoy into his area.

"Chris doesn't know when to give up," he remarked, his eyes moving back and forth as he studied the familiar and the not - so - familiar faces in the vehicles.

There were stares of disgusted fear from those he was all - too - familiar with; like Chris' dear little sister. Her eyes were wide and ... OH! Mr. Kennedy was here as well? This made things VERY interesting indeed! He straightened his shoulders as rows upon rows of men and women circled them. After a brief moment of exchanged whispers, Leon was the first to speak.

"Wesker ... " he hissed, "So ... I guess even a volcano isn't enough to kill you. Puh. Not even hell wants your ass there ... "

Wesker simply smirked at him, studying the government agent coolly. "Oh Mr. Kennedy," he sneered, "I don't think that it's very polite to ignore an old friend. Why don't you say hello ... " He paused before glancing over his shoulder, " ... Krauser?"

Krauser stepped down from the RV behind him, smirking at the sight of Kennedy standing there. Leon barely reacted, save for a slight widening of his eyes and a parting of his lips.

"Krauser...?" he whispered, stunned.

Krauser pretended to be surprised to see him. "Oh! Leon!" he mocked, "It's ... It's been too damn long! How've you been?" His smile disappeared slowly as he punctuated each word with growing anger. "Hey, how's that bitch lady friend of yours? Ada - fucking - Wong?" He raised his metallic fist and clenched it tight. "Oh! By the way, you owe me an arm ... and maybe a leg!"

Just as he dove for Leon, Ivan stepped out from the crowd with a fierce bellow, towering over the man and grabbing him by one leg, flipping him over onto his back. Krauser looked up and blinked in amazement, not really humiliated to an extent; too surprised to really think about that right now. The man was a monster by any standards.

"Holy hell! Who are you?" he demanded, furiously.

Ivan chuckled. "This is big scary man I hear about?" he sneered. He lifted his gaze to Wesker and his grin intensified. "Ah! Is Albert Wesker! Back from dead, I see! You _were _good at dodging trouble."

Wesker tilted his head and Krauser shuffled to his side. "Well, well, Ivan Demidov," he mused aloud, "Looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within."

Ivan let loose a bark of laughter. "Well, you know all about madness within, yes?"

Wesker raised a brow at him before he laughed lowly. Everyone looked at each other, confused by the mirth between the two men. Wesker finally turned to Chris with a sly smile.

"Well, you've done it, Chris," he taunted, "You have found me. Now what will you do?"

Rose stepped out of the RV and swept her gaze over each face and feature. She looked at Wesker and gave him a smile and a nod. "Let me handle this, big guy," she told him.

"Rose ... I have this ... " Wesker warned, glaring at her.

"Just ... let me give it a shot, alright?"

Wesker growled softly, but didn't argue with her. He was curious to see just what route she'd take to communicate with them. Rose took a step up to Chris and raised a single brow.

"Okay, you're here," she said, "What the hell do you want?"

Chris glanced at Jill before he looked at her. "I thought it was clear enough," he told her. He watched as she studied him coolly before continuing. "Look, bottom line is, we need as much help as we can to stop this guy. We have a similar foe among us."

"No, what _we_ have is nothing," Wesker interrupted, "What _I _have are the clues to this and you have a glimmer of hope that you could persuade me to join sides with you so you could exploit them. Once this new enemy is gone, then I am next, along with Rose, Krauser and any others who you deem as a threat to _your _path to a cleaner, brighter world, am I correct?"

The BSAA members looked momentarily guilty by the assumption and stiffened where they stood. "We have to take every precaution to get rid of the ... abnormals," Chris protested, frowning at him.

That did it.

"_ABNORMALS?_"Rose exclaimed, furious. Her face went red with anger and her voice became hoarse with rage.

Ivan and Mischa glared down at Chris now. "Abnormal, eh?" Ivan hissed, indignantly.

Chris tried to recover from that poor choice of wording and shook his head at Rose. "N-Not that _you're _abnormal or anything ... " he attempted. "Don't take it that - - " He felt Claire's hand on his shoulder.

"Chris, maybe you should just stop ... " she advised.

Rose folded her arms across her chest and still sounded angry. "No, just us Wesker's are abnormal," she snapped.

Chris waved his hands in the air sheepishly. He didn't want to ruin a potential comradeship just because of a misplacement of words. "No, listen, that's not what I meant. Let me just explain - - "

Ivan leaned down to Mikhail. "This should be good," he whispered, chuckling.

"Look, just listen," Chris insisted, looking at Rose, " 'Abnormal' is just a word. You know. A term for…people who are different. I didn't mean anything by ir or any insult to you or you people."

"You people'?" Rose said, all signs of anger gone and now she could only be amused by his messed up choice of words. She looked over at Ivan with a smirk. "Hey, did you hear that, big guy? He said, 'You people'."

Ivan glowered menacingly down at Chris. "Who the hell is 'us people'?" he demanded.

Chris glared back and forth between them indignantly. "Wait. Wait. No, no, no. Just ... " he tried, "I - - You don't under - - "

Rose was grinning now. "Um, you know, I think it's best if we just forget we had this conversation," she told him, "Okay?" She looked at Claire and shook her head with mock dismay.

"Дерьмо мы должны мириться с ... а?" Ivan muttered, looking down at Mischa.

His son grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, down to business," Jill interjected, eager to get off of this pointless and fight - possible conversation, "We need each others' help and sitting here arguing over past mistakes will only get us killed. If we hate each other, fine. But we can deal with that later. Right now, we need to stick together. It's the only way that we're going to get through this."

"And what's in it for us?" Wesker sneered, "We know more about what is going on than the rest of you. You would just get in our way."

Jill glowered at him. Her voice dropped a register. "Well, what we have is probable cause!" she whispered, "We have the weapons, the vehicles, the resource and the team."

Rose began to see a logic in the plan after all. She glanced at Wesker. "Maybe she's right," she told him, "Maybe it would be better if we had more hands. After all, that Minvera bitch almost had our heads. This way, if we cross paths with others who are willing to fight, then we can put an end to this and prevent anyone else from dying."

"Hmph," Wesker scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. "Selfless as always ... "

Rose took a step forward, drawing herself dreadfully close to Chris. He leaned his head back, frowning at her cold, pitiless expression. "What?" he demanded.

"Just a kind warning for you," Rose whispered, her voice as chilling as ice, "If we agree to join sides with you, my friends, Krauser and even Wesker ... If they take any fall because of your negligence or superiority; trust me, no Tyrants ... G monsters ... or any horde of zombies will compare to what I can do to you. If I even SENSE that you are going to try anything funny, your ass is grass, got me?"

Everyone around her and Chris reacted with gasps of surprise and murmurs of amazement at the threat. Wesker's mouth turned upward in a smirk.

" - - Goddam."

" - - Cold."

Chris simply smiled at that and Rose was impressed to see no fear, no disgust. In fact, there was a bare hint of admiration there. Wesker caught it as well. Typical Chris. He always played the hero and showed courage in the face of danger. That was just his way; Wesker could even see admiration in Rose's gaze as well. She respected him for this.

"Alright, Rose," Chris said, calmly, "I'll give you that."

Rose smiled back.

O

Upon the departure of the RV, several hours down the road and the BSAA convoy followed behind them. Rose was driving this time to allow for Krauser a moment's reprieve. It wasn't fair to continuously make him the slave around here anyway.

Jonas grinned and looked down at Wesker, who was sitting in a chair, legs crossed and a finger against his lips. He looked to be thinking about something. Jonas chuckled softly.

"You gotta admit," he told him, "It's really coming back to us. Lots of human interest." He swayed his hips back and forth with a smaller laugh and Wesker shook his head.

"Don't do that in here." he said, sternly.

Jonas held up two hands and shrugged that tone off. Wesker stood up and walked over to Rose's position, watching the road and standing over her calmly. He arched his brows.

"You performed a beautiful play before Redfield," he told her, a smile lighting his features, "If I do say so myself. Any further and you would have had him quivering like a child." His smile disappeared when he noticed that she did not share his amusement. She was still watching the road with unbroken attention. That was different. "Rose?"

She chuckled softly and raised a single brow, glancing at him. "Let's be honest here, Wesker, we are frightening," she told him, "Even though we're stronger, smarter and scarier than they are, we've still remained just beastly crazed animals. Think about it. That's all that we are. They fear us and it's no wonder. You think I'm crazy, sure, but I don't see the dangers of treating humans as equals."

Wesker tilted his head at that before murmuring once. He certainly saw such dangers, but Rose ... well ... she was different. In a way, she had his respect for believing in such things.

O

_Note_- And more to come.

1. Дерьмо мы должны мириться с ... а?-"The shit we have to put up with...eh?"


	43. Chapter 43: Profession of Faith

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Three: ****Profession of Faith**

_Monroe, Louisiana_

Rose could see Chris observing their position from the distance on the other side of the city through her RV window. She tilted her head to one side and chuckled before she turned to Wesker and laughed quietly. He looked somewhat displeased, not sharing her sense of humor toward Chris' needless and constant spying on them. If it wasn't for the man's resources, he'd forget the entire deal. Using Chris was far too much fun anyway.

"I think he's in love with you." Rose joked.

Wesker arched a single eyebrow at her. "Take caution with that one," he answered, "Chris does not give up easily. Believe me, you'll lose your patience with his behavior eventually." He scoffed when he watched her wave one hand over at Chris, a gesture intending to incite humor to those in the distance who could see her. "Get your hand down, you silly girl."

Jonas was pulling the RV into the Diamond Gun and Outdoor shop. Once the group stepped outside, Rose stopped and turned to face them. "Hey, guys?" she said, "I was going to go to a ... Books A Million I saw on the way in here. You know, maybe grab some educating material." Her gestures were caught on by Wesker, who immediately knew that she had other ideas in mind.

"You sure?" Beth asked, worried, "I don't want us splitting up right now. It's too dangerous."

Jonas added in agreement. "We should stick together."

Rose nodded at them both and smiled reassuringly. She didn't blame them for their concern after the incident with the crocodile which had separated them for a few days. "Don't worry. I'll be back in a flash. I mean, for me that's literal. Once I get back, we can continue on our way, okay?"

Wesker approached her and offered her a handgun, which she took with a curious expression on her face. "If you really must do this, I suggest that you take a weapon with you," he told her, surprising her with his lack of argue to her idea. He leaned forward, whispering into her ear. "Do not tell Chris about the blood antidote or the child. He could interfere with you and me both. If you must go to him to get information, be on your guard. Do you understand?"

Rose smiled and nodded. It almost touched her that he was concerned for her well being, but knew very well that he would never act on such. He was simply looking out for himself, of course. "I will, I promise. Don't you worry about me. It's not your style, I know."

Wesker exhaled and rolled his eyes. Obviously, he didn't believe her and didn't approve of her sarcasm at the moment. "Just return soon," he told her, "We will not stay very long. This city is quiet, but the slightest sound may alert the dead or anything else that may be here." He glared at her now. "So don't do anything that all of us will regret, do you hear?"

Rose was already walking away and she waved him off with one hand without looking back. She was smiling broadly with her back to him; it was funny the way he would get pissed at her for no reason, sometimes. "You got it!"

And finally, she blasted off in an inky black smear. Wesker watched as she disappeared before he turned to the others. "Get what you can," he ordered, "She will not be long."

At least, he sure as hell hoped so.

As Rose raced down the silent streets, the wind slicing through her hair, something caught her eye at the corner and she slid to an abrupt halt, stopping before a towering Catholic church. It was labeled, "Our Lady of Fatima". Rose studied the tall building with a suspicious frown on her face. It looked as if the church had been shot at several times due to the cracks in the windows and the smashed-in doors.

But something had moved. Rose couldn't explain just what it was, but even during her high - speed race, she saw something move in there. Her nostrils scented the air for anything out of the ordinary. There were various human smells, stale blood and even feces. But there was nothing different in the air that would have been a cause for alarm. Maybe everyone had left this small town right before the t-virus hit. After all, it could have reached them before; there may have been warnings issued out ahead of time.

Frowning, Rose shook those thoughts away and took off into the streets. Inside the church's colorful, stained-glass windows, something moved, watching her go with vague interest. Through the shadows, a male face could be seen, brown eyes narrowed with obvious intentions for menace.

_"Whennnn will you moooove?"_

_"Mooove now ... they are helllpplesss ... "_

"We will move very soon ... " the man whispered, to the darkness, to a voice and another within the darkness of the church, "Do not worry, my beautiful creatures ... it's all about proper timing ... "

_"Silly to waiiiitt ... We can kiiilllll her ... now!"_

_"Killl her ... now ... !"_

He chuckled quietly and tilted his head toward the shadows. "Remember, he doesn't want her as a cold, dead corpse," he reminded his companions, "He wants her alive and at least in decent condition. The others you can have in pieces once I finish with them. He dropped me off here because he knew that the BSAA would need to be taken out soon. Their petty interference will only complicate things for him later."

There was a moment of silence, followed by a collection of whispering voices. Of course, he knew that only he would be able to hear them; the human ears could never learn to love nor appreciate the beauty of these creatures. Thanks to his master, he could speak to them, hear them and control them. He would destroy the BSAA for his master and for his lovely creatures.

Through a crack within the church ceiling, a ray of sunlight shot down upon a large, leathery wing shaded the color of violet. Attached to the wing was a gigantic, hairy body and long feelers extended into the air.

A moth.

It reared its head back and revealed large, segmented eyes with a gaping mouth with razor, sharp mandibles.

O

Chris really didn't want to talk to Rose any more than he had to, but here she was, sneaking up on them like she had a death wish. But he had to figure that it was important, otherwise she wouldn't have wasted her time rushing over to them. She stayed hidden behind the Russian's trucks, making sure that no one could see her. She didn't want to hide, but right now, she also didn't want to risk being bombarded with questions; not when there were more important things at hand right now, like survival.

"Can I ask why Wesker hates you so much?" Rose asked, frowning thoughtfully. "I mean, what did you do that was so terrible to him?"

Chris shrugged one shoulder, leaning his head against the truck's side. "That's just his way," he told her, "He kills things that he finds offensive to him or his plans. Anything that gets in his way ends up dead."

Rose arched a single eyebrow. "Why you?" she asked.

"Why me?" Chris repeated. He scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Everything about me he finds offensive or intrusive to his precious little plans. It's always been that way with me. You think it'd be a waste of his 'time'."

Rose chuckled softly and she didn't sound very believing of the gesture. "You ever thought about sitting down and talking about your differences?" she joked. After pausing long enough to watch him glare at her, she continued, "I mean, Wesker doesn't talk about you as much as you do him. I mean, all he says is just ... you know ... " Her voice carried a bare hint of teasing to it. " ... guy stuff."

"You're crazy!" Chris snapped, glaring down at her, appalled, "I don't know what kind of crap he's told you, but he's never out for anyone else. It's always been about him."

Rose suddenly glared at him indignantly, turning around so that she was face-to-face with the man. "Don't you _ever_ dare call me crazy again, Chris Redfield. Ever." she warned, her voice darker this time, "Because everyone in my whole goddamn town has called me crazy ever since I attacked a security guard and put his ass in the hospital!"

"Seems like a good enough reason as any to call someone crazy!"

Claire and Jill watched the interaction from their spots, curious about what was going on. Yet they did not see it necessary to inferfere right now. Afetr all, Chris seemed to have it under control.

"Should we go over and talk to her?" Claire wondered.

Jill shook her head. "I don't think so right now," she told her, "She seems pretty unreasonable at the moment. Anything we say might set her off and we don't need that right now. Let Chris handle it."

"You know what it's like to be known as the little girl who saw her father murdered?" Rose continued, sarcasm in her following sentence; she rolled her eyes, "You think anybody showed up at my 11th birthday party?"

Chris shook his head and he sounded somewhat piteous with his next words. "Rose, he's bad news!" he insisted, "After all of this is said and done, he'll just throw you away like a piece of trash. I've seen it! It's just as he did with Excella." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before he looked at her seriously, something dawning on him as soon as he had said that. "Rose ... can I ask you something?"

"Sure ... "

"Do you love him?" Chris asked softly. There was something about the way he asked the question which made it seem as if he was hoping for a specific answer. And he was.

Rose was appalled by the question and somewhat embarrassed. "What?" she exclaimed.

"Do you love him?" Chris repeated. He stared at her sternly. "It's a simple question, Rose. Do you love Albert Wesker or not?"

Rose tried to answer, but whenever she thought about it, her mind went totally blank. Did she really have some form of affections for the man? It ... was a little more complicated than she wanted it to be. Why was she even thinking twice about it? She hated his guts for what he did to her! But ... really ... did she? After all, she had saved him from the crocodile, helped him whenever she could have just left him to his own.

But she didn't.

"Chris, that's a really personal question that you just don't-" She cut herself off in mid rant, pausing long enough to tilt her head to one side. There had been a sudden change in the atmosphere. There was no longer the smell of human flesh and bone. Something had abruptly made its presence known and somehow, she had a feeling that it was all a part of some plan.

Chris frowned at her. "Rose?"

"Something's out there," Rose answered, her voice filled with worry, "I have to go back to the others."

Before Chris could protest, Rose blasted away, back in the direction that she had come. Chris threw his arms up into the air in disbelief. "I hate it when they do that ... " he snapped, to himself.

O

Rose had stopped in front of the church, watching the building with confusion and interest as well. Here it was, the place where the scent had come from. She tilted her head to one side, brow furrowed.

"You know I am here ... " a male voice called to her, from the church. "Why don't you come inside and find me?"

Rose chuckled softly. Right. Like she was that stupid. "Heh," she sneered, "If you're so tough, why don't you come out here so I can see your face?" She paused at the silence and chuckled. "If you're just going to sit in the dark, then you're not even worth my time!" It was a way to bait the unseen enemy to come out and face her, but from the sound of the chuckling from inside the church, she knew that he was clever.

"Such a fiery girl you are," the man crooned, "He told me to be wary when facing such a hellcat."

"And who is this 'he' you're talking about?" Rose snapped.

"The one who has given me this ... wonderful gift," the voice continued, "To hear and speak to the beautiful creatures who dwell within this church. Why don't you come inside and let us hear your sins?" He laughed softly to himself.

"Screw you, asshole." Rose turned to walk away and forget about this avoidable confrontation. "I have better things to worry about."

"Don't you want to know about your mother?"

Immediately, Rose halted in her pace, stunned. She slowly turned toward the church once more, confused and angry. "And what the hell would you know about her?" she demanded.

The man chuckled lowly, cruelly. "I know quite a bit of her, Miss Rose ... " he hissed, "How she screamed at night as they tortured her! How she shrieked like a rabid beast when they chained her to walls!"

"You fucking bastard!" Rose screamed, eyes wide in shock and disgust, "What did they do to her?"

A moment's pause followed the scream. Finally, the man exhaled softly. "Poor dear ... poor, poor dear," he said, gently now, "I almost pitied her if I could pity anything. She wanted your safety more than anything in the world. She did whatever it took to make sure that they did not harm you. She slowly lost touch with the real world and turned into an insane, bloodthirsty monster."

Rose snarled at him, teeth clenched with fury. She became blind to her reality and the woman that she was. She was beyond reason now. "I'll kill you and that fucking master of yours!" With that, she surged into the church to find and kill him.

What she entered into was darkness. Rose looked around cautiously, pacing around the massive sanctuary. Something fluttered above her and she looked up, her keen eyes seeing nearly dozens of wriggling, furry bodies hovering over her head.

"Moths?" she whispered, backing up a few paces.

Rose was unsure whether or not giant moths really posed a threat to her. They were infected with the t-virus, so they probably would be a danger. But really, moths? What dangers could they really pose? The sounds of their humming filled the air, a droning buzzing sound that signaled their alert to her presence. Their wings fluttered wildly and their eyes flickered to bright red.

"Easy..."

Rose looked up toward a chandelier and noticed a man crouched onto it, one arm holding onto the chain that held it up. He was a haggard-looking man and from where she stood, Rose could make out his distinct features. His hair was long, never - been brushed from what she could tell. He wore a long brown trench coat over a pair of blue overalls and large cowboy boots. He had quite a bizarre sense of fashion; he looked more like a bum than a man of business.

"Hello, and welcome," he greeted, lifting his head to reveal a pair of sickly, yellow eyes and veiny, pasty skin.

Rose frowned. "Who are you?"

The man grunted and swung himself off of the chandelier, spinning once in midair before he landed gracefully onto his feet. Rose blinked in surprise at this move. He was infected, no doubt. Any 'normal' human being would never have been capable of a jump at that height. When he stood up, he exhaled before clicking his heels together and bowing respectfully before rose.

"I am Miles Dubois," he told her, "Ex - United States Military ... recent addition to the super - human race."

Rose tensed her shoulders and ignored the moths hovering over her as much as she could. "What do you know about my mother?" she demanded, over the hum of the insects above her, "Where is she ... ?" She cut herself off and covered her ears with both hand. "And can't you do something to shut those things up?"

"They cannot be silent," Miles told her, smirking, "They hunger for what you have brought to us."

Rose glared at him, her slit eyes flaring bright red. "I don't give a rat's ass what they're hungry for!" she spat, "I want to know everything that you know about my mother!"

Miles smiled broadly and within the darkness, his face seemed to change. "You'll learn everything that you need to know once I take you to him," he told her, a change in his voice, a deepening, "Soon ... all of it will become clear ... "

Suddenly, his entire body bowed over with a sharp groan, the trench coat ripping cleanly down the middle as something emerged from his back. Rose cringed at the wet snapping sound that filled the air, almost like celery being cleaved in two. Mile's entire body spasmed and trembled, raw muscle rippling through his arms and legs as if there were something crawling through him. This brown hair sprouted down his back and long, sharp claws jutted out of his fingertips. His human wail morphed into a feral, demonic roar.

Rose's brows went up in shock and awe and she took several steps back, facing the enormous monstrosity before her. She had never seen a virus like this before; mutating the host in such extremes. Especially at the will of he host itself.

The creature resembled a gigantic, furry moth - like creature; it had a brown dog-like face with large mandibles and feelers, large blue - grey wings with strange design patterns that formed into eyes. Its arms were covered in thick, hairy barbs and its legs looked almost human. The pale white belly was distended and grotesque; thin blue veins visible across its chest.

The creature screamed and dove right for Rose, who winced visibly, preparing for pain. "Shit ... " she said, just as it slammed into her.

O

The sound of the church walls shattering to rubble reached Wesker and the others. He spun around, just as he was preparing to board the RV. There was a tower of smoke rising in the distance and he had a feeling in his gut that it had something to do with Rose.

"I take it she wasn't careful?" Krauser guessed, managing a smile.

"Damn that woman!" Wesker said, lowly.

His brow knotted at the sound of humming in the distance. It almost sounded like a droning roar, like the sound of a passing helicopter. Wesker really saw no logic in such a vehicle being used during these times (because of the lack of people), and then he saw a cloud in the distance. A black, ominous cloud of wings and feelers. His eyes grew wide.

Krauser looked over at Jonas and Beth, confused by the sound.

"I don't like the sound of that ... " the smaller man whimpered.

"You won't like the sight of it either," Wesker told him, "Get into the RV ... NOW!"

Jonas and Beth rushed into the RV, as the cloud of insects screamed down for them. Wesker was the last one inside and he slammed the door behind him. The vehicle jolted from the force of the creatures as they struck it hard. The humming sound surrounded those within and it became difficult to think after a while of their ears suffering the slow, droning sound.

"Can't we get out of here?" Beth cried.

Meanwhile, Chris and his convoy struggled amid the screeching, diving insects as they swarmed low to engulf the helpless humans. A single BSAA soldier fired round after round at the creatures, only to be snatched up by one with its tiny, yet powerful legs. He screamed as he was carried away into the darkness of a building while two more moths joined in.

"Claire!" Chris shouted, over the humming sound, "Get everyone in the cars! HURRY!"

Claire did just as he told her; she shouted orders to the soldiers, and the Russians. "All of you, get into your vehicles! GET INTO YOUR GODDAMN VEHICLES! Hurry, hurr - - _Now_ Ivan!" She yelled over at Ivan, who was wrestling with one of the giant moths.

"Don't you worry, Miss. Redfield!" he grunted, his arm tight around the thorax of the moth, "This bitch will not be taking me!" With a snarl, he twisted the entire body of the moth with both arms, tearing it in half with a sickening crunching sound to follow.

Claire grimaced at the noise.

While the convoy gathered into their vehicles, Rose was climbing out from a pile of rubbish and garbage cans with a dazed expression on her face. She rubbed her forehead with one hand.

"Shit ... what the hell?" she gasped.

A dark shadow cast over her, bathing her in darkness. Rose looked up into pale, yellow eyes and a set of dripping, grinning jaws. Her eyes went wide and she quickly rolled out of the way before the jaws could snatch her up. The moth creature snarled down at her and turned swiftly on its feet. With a rattling inhale, it spoke in a dark, demonic version of Mile's own voice.

"_You cannot escape_ ... " it rattled, "_You ... the future of_ ... (Inhale) _humanity_."

Rose scowled at him, crouched on one knee. "I can sure as hell try!" she growled. She glanced over at the moth swarm that had blanketed the convoy and probably her friend's and the RV as well.

The moth creature followed her concerned gaze with a rough, watery chuckle. "_Do not worry about them_ ... " it hissed, "_I would worry ... about you ..._ "

But Rose was worried. She knew that if they did not get the upper hand soon, the moths were sure to finish them off. She didn't know what to do! For Christ's sake, she was only one person, super human or not!

_What do I do?_

O_  
_

_Note_- What next? Hehe. Stay tuned.


	44. Chapter 44: Mothman Prophecies

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Four: Mothman Prophecies**

_Monroe, Louisiana_

The moth creature dove for Rose as she ran-bolted in an inky black smear toward the RV. It crashed against the ground with a shriek of furious protest, watching as the woman vanished in the distance. Glancing back toward the convoy once and then looking back toward the departing Rose once more, the creature's jagged mouth cracked upwards into a malicious grin.

Rose hurried into the RV as fast as she could, shoving through the swarm of moths and slamming the door behind her. She turned to face the surprised looks and shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"What?" she said.

"What the HELL is going on, Rose?" Beth demanded, horror in her voice, "What are all these moths doing here after us and why are they the size of goddamn horses?"

Rose shook her head and listened to the sharp humming sound outside, speaking over it. "There's a guy out there by the church, Miles Dubois," She hesitated for a moment and corrected herself. "Well, he's not really a guy anymore; he's more of a giant, moth man freak who wants to take me back to his boss. He knows something about my mother and what her purpose is in all of this; I want you guys to hurry and get out of this city while Wesker and I try to bleed some information from this shit head!"

They stared back at her as if her head had just fallen off her shoulders and started talking to them.

"Rose, you have GOT to be fucking kidding me!" Krauser spat, shocked.

Wesker shook his head. "Let Redfield and the others deal with him and his little pets," he told her, turning his back so that he faced the dashboard, "We don't require any more unnecessary information at the risk of wasting ammunition and time. We can simply move on to the estate and get what we need there. Astrid gave me all that I need to know. I know where this place is ... so there is no reason to 'ask'."

Rose frowned. That seemed rather cruel, but then again, it was Wesker. "We can't just leave them here to get eaten and die," she protested, "We're not going, not until we go back for the others and make sure that they're alright."

Wesker let out a bark of laughter at that. She had to be joking.

"Look, we promised them that we'd work as a team, and that's exactly what we're gonna do..." Rose continued, sensing immediately that he wasn't going to take any chances.

Wesker gave her a side glance. "I think that you've mistaken me for somebody who cares, Rose," he told her, mockingly, "Redfield is as good as dead anyway; my nemesis finally vanquished by a bunch of over sized bugs ... Hm ... not exactly the most elegant of deaths, but he will be out of my sight and path, along with his wretched little crew. I'm just sorry that it wasn't me who killed him."

Rose scowled angrily. "What, you're afraid?" she sneered.

The others looked back and forth between them, warily stepping aside. Wesker turned entirely to look at her. "You seem to be confusing me with a human being - - fear is _their_ monkey. I only deal in life and death, nothing ever in between. My eyes may see many things, Rose, but there are just a few shades of grey that I cannot see." He turned his back to her.

Rose stared at him in disbelief. "Goddamn it," she whispered, furiously, "We're fighting an enemy that is _both _of ours! I guess I was crazy, but I actually started to believe that there was some part of you wanted to rejoin the human race."

Wesker chuckled softly. "Truthfully? I wouldn't know how."

Rose realized that trying to get him to even act remotely civilized was impossible; you could not shame a shameless man. With desperation edging her voice, she grabbed the keys from Krauser's hands before he could give them to Wesker and tucked them into her coat. Wesker stared at her coldly, in no mood to deal with this right now, not when they were in such a dire situation.

"Then you can just wait for me. I'll go back myself," she snapped. When Wesker did not move from his spot, Rose gritted her teeth. "Look, just come with me! We can take that thing out in minutes!"

"They're already dead," Wesker told her, sternly, "Now give me the keys."

She was bleeding resolve and Wesker could see it - - could smell it on her - - and he continued slashing away at her, persuading her to change her mind about his enemy's safety and just leave them to die. "Just leave them, Rose."

She glanced back for a moment, struggling with her humanity. She looked to the others who wanted to speak on her behalf, but they realized how futile it would be; it was a decision that she had to make on her own.

"I can't ... I can't ... " Rose whispered, stricken with her own mental torment, "It's just ... It's just not right. I can't just leave them to die! Maybe it comes easily for someone without his humanity, but I just can't do that! I can't do it!"

Wesker's brow knotted for a brief moment, almost confused by her guilt. "You don't even know them," he said, harshly, "Chris spoke such ill words of you and he thinks of you as a threat! He may hunt you and your child down if you save them. So why would you even think of doing such a thing? You could put that concern behind you and just leave them to perish. Don't put yourself in that position, Rose."

She thought about it for several moments, how she _could _leave the team to perish at the hands of this madman; finally she glowered at Wesker nastily and tossed the keys in his direction. He caught them with one hand as swiftly as she had thrown them at him. Rose gave him a very hard look before she opened the door and rushed out into the streets once more, leaving a very stunned Wesker alone.

O

Rose could still make out the sounds of gunfire in the distance; there was a collection of mortal shrieks and screams so Chris and his friends must have been putting up a good fight against them. When she arrived at the place of battle, she noticed several moths lying in pools of their own greenish blood. Bits of wings lay scattered across the granite and remnants of feelers sprinkled the dirt.

_Shit, they're pretty tough, _she thought, amazed.

The moth monster glanced up at the sight of Rose approaching the scene and grinned wickedly. The moths that had attacked the convoy had already begun to tear into one of the vehicles to reach a screaming group of BSAA soldiers inside. Once Rose was noticed by the moths as well, they stopped in their attack to witness the woman there.

_"Shheee came baaacckkk ... for theeemmm?"_

_"Brave ... no ... fooooollliiissshhh ... "_

The moth monster turned on two legs, facing her and spreading its great wings, _"Yoooouuu wouuld ssssave theeeemmm?" _A dry chuckle followed. _"Tttthhhisss cannnot beeee Albertssss doing ... "_

Rose smirked at him angrily and shook her head. "Well, for your information, Wesker doesn't make the decisions for me," she told the creature, "Now let them go free and you can have me."

The moth creature paced about, circling her with hisses and growling sounds. It watched her carefully with those pale, yellow eyes and bared its teeth. All animal aside, Rose could tell from its expression that it sensed her true intentions through the lie. _"You liiiieee ... " _it rasped.

Rose tilted her head to one side and smirked devilishly. So he wasn't so stupid after all, even when he was completely mutated beyond compare. "Maybe I am, but then again, you're not gonna live long enough to figure that out." And with that, she surged passed the creature toward the others. Stopping in front of Chris' truck, she peered into the window. "ARE YOU GUYS ALRIGHT?"

A dark shadow cast over them and Chris and Jill's eyes grew wide in horror. Their words were muffled, but they mimed the warning, "BEHIND YOU" and Rose spun around immediately, only to be snatched up by her throat. Chris and Jill screamed behind the glass as Rose was lifted into the air, wincing against the foul breath of the creature. She glowered into those empty eyes.

_"I'll teaaaccch you a lessssooonnn ... " _it snarled, claws opening and releasing her.

Rose screamed on the way back down to earth and she suddenly felt herself snatched up roughly by one leg, inches before she met the concrete and jostling her entire body. She was lucky that her entire skeleton hadn't fallen right out of her mouth like one of those silly Saturday morning cartoon characters. Looking up, Rose struggled to twist her body free, but the moth creature smirked down at her and flung her into a concrete wall. Rose felt her body cracking beneath the stone and she wailed out sharply in agony before crumbling to the ground.

"Ouch ... " Rose mumbled, with a mouthful of dust.

Despite being able to regenerate the damages that she was sure she had, it still didn't hurt any less.

_"Come quiiiieeettllly ... or they diee ... "_

Suddenly, a barrage of shellfire rained down on the creature, peppering it's entire body. It shrieked furiously and raised its wings in an attempt to shield its body from the damage. Rose glanced up, watching with a pleased smile on her face at the sight of her friends running in to help; Krauser was even among them both, handgun firing off round after round a minute.

"We'll distract 'im!" Krauser barked at her, "You help the others!"

Rose nodded in acknowledgement and scrambled to her feet, rushing for Chris and the others. She didn't expect Wesker to join her in the fight; after all, helping her save Chris and his friends would be the equivalent of saving his enemy and that was something that she knew was beneath him. Oh well, she wasn't about to be taken down into sin with him.

Rose helped a wounded soldier to his feet and thrust a hunting rifle into his arms. He wearily stared up at her with a mixture of disgust and amazement, but said nothing against her. His arm was stained with blood, but there was no time to properly seal the wound just yet. Instead, she hurried to the aid of the others as they gathered their weapons and loaded them as quickly as they could. The sound of Krauser's shout filled the air and Rose looked over her shoulder, watching as Krauser jumped onto the back of the creature, his hands gripping its bristled mane of fur.

"Jonas!" Krauser hollered, as he was tossed like a rag doll, "Take a shot at his face!"

"I'm trying!" Jonas shouted back, dodging the swipe of talons.

Rose turned her attention down to Chris and Jill as they climbed out from their vehicle. "I have to help my friends!" she told them, "Are the rest of you going to be alright?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, yeah, we'll be alright," he told her, "You and your friends try and take that thing out and we'll clear out these moths." His next words carried a mixture of pity and scorn. "I'm sure the four of you can do what that coward Wesker can't."

Rose smiled and flashed him a thumbs up. She didn't even argue with his words this time. Maybe she felt that he was right; to an extent anyway. "Hehe, now that's a plan!"

And she ran in to help her friends with the moth monster.

O

Wesker was standing inside the RV, his keen ears listening to the sounds of battle outside. How dare that woman assume that he was a coward? He drifted from the real world for a brief moment, the humming sounds of the moths fading away into a low whistle in the back of his mind; it was a perfect opportunity to collect his thoughts. Sometimes, he found that in battle, one was left with the little time that they had to think clearly.

What did she expect of him? To save his enemy? To risk his neck for his most hated rival? She was certainly a presumptuous little fool if she believed that he would risk his neck for Chris Redfield, or any one of his friends for that matter. It was ridiculous. While he collected these trivial thoughts, he could hear the rasping breath of Rose in the back of his mind.

In the distance, Rose was struggling to keep the claws of the moth monster at bay. She was lying on her back while pushing up against the moth monster's talon foot. Grimacing in frustration and effort, Rose struggled for all her worth, but the claws came down upon her, piercing her arms and chest. The sharp protrusions ripped through cartilage, bone and muscle, sending bursts of blood into the air.

Rose's horrible scream of agony ripped through the air and it tore Wesker from his spot like a bullet. He blasted from the RV, down the streets, toward the moth creature where he shoved his fist into one of the wing limbs, splitting the bone cleanly in two. The monster reared back with a hideous wailing shriek that ripped through the air and chilled everyone's very bones. As Wesker pushed Rose to her feet with one arm, the pair watched the screaming, writhing creature for a brief moment before meeting each other's gazes.

"Get behind me...until those heal," Wesker ordered, softly, indicating to her shoulder and chest wounds.

Rose didn't argue with him for once and she was also too surprised by his actions. She stepped behind Wesker while he faced the moth monster. It had finally stopped shrieking long enough for him to speak, his voice snarky as usual.

"Pity ... that had to hurt," Wesker sneered, "And here Rose made it sound as if you would be difficult to handle." He smirked over his shoulder to the woman. "Silly, Rose."

She just grinned and shrugged one shoulder, amused to a small degree.

The monster tilted its neck to one side, almost as if it were scrutinizing Wesker. It paced back and forth on its human-like legs. _"He knowssssss of your ..._ (Wheeze) _cominggggg. Even now he movessss ... against you."_

Wesker smirked at the creature. "Then I'll make this quick."

The moth monster screamed furiously and galloped toward him. Wesker surged after the creature as well. The two beings collided, Wesker seizing the mandibles of the moth creature as it struggled to shove him over. Wesker smirked at the monster and flicked his head to the left, reminding Chris of the reaction that he had given him at the Tricell facility during their "final" fight.

Wesker roughly twisted the creature's jaw, toppling the great beast and sending it flat onto its back with a resounding crash. Krauser immediately opened fire onto its head; a few stray bullets struck home and ripped one of the creature's eyes out of its head. Flesh was ripped out of its face and blood gushed from the smoking, mulchy half of it.

The scream was horrible and utterly piercing; there was a glimmer of a human-like wail to its cry, which made it all the more horrifying to listen to. The bullets still went flying and it took Wesker a moment to realize that it was coming from the BSAA and the Russians. The most stranger of facts was that the moths had stopped in their attack and were observing the scene with what almost resembled interest. Wesker managed a smile. _Wretched insects are far more intelligent than I thought, _he mused, _Could this perhaps be a new virus? Humanity in these insects is certainly obvious ... This new foe ..._

When the shellfire finally ceased, they paused to observe the damages that had been done. The moth creature was dripping with blood, saliva and meat, swaying back and forth on shaking legs and tattered wings. It locked its good eye to Rose and began to snicker, a dry, rasping wet sound. She scowled at the monster and forgot the sharp, stabbing agony that she still had in her arms and chest.

"What the hell is so funny?" she spat.

The moth monster struggled to maintain its balance on the tattered, fleshy limbs of its legs. _"You're ... making a ... misssstake ... " _it snarled, _"You ... cannnnot ... destroy him ... HE IS GOD!"_

Wesker tsked coldly. He didn't buy into this intimidation one little bit. "Please," he sneered, "That right is reserved for those with the capabilities. If he truly were a God, why don't he show himself, then?" His voice began to drip with challenge and his eyes glittered behind his glasses. "Truly he is unstoppable as you say he is, then he wouldn't be afraid to show his face to me, would he?"

The moth monster snickered once more. _"Yoooou ... You are walking ... right toooooo him!" _it bellowed, towering over Wesker like a bleeding, hellish shadow, _"Why should a God ... come to ... a man?"_

Wesker's eyes narrowed at the jibe and his lips pulled back in a grimace of hatred.

The creature lifted its head to the watching group of giant insects and licked its muzzle. _"My brothers ... sisters ... please ... Help me!" _it rasped, weakly, _"Destroy them for me!"_

The moths did not react to his plea.

_"What are you waiting for?" _it demanded in a shrill, terrified tone of voice, its good eye flickering about, _"TAKE THEM!"_

_"Weeeeaaakkkk ... "_

_"Yessss ... Weeeaaakk ... "_

_"Paaathe ... tic ... "_

The moth monster's head flicked about wildly, sensing the betrayal of his beautiful creatures. They were turning on him? _"N - No!" _he screamed, _"I ... I can stilll ... I can still fight!"_

Wesker chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. "Amusing isn't it?" he sneered, "When choosing your allies, be absolutely sure that they will never betray you in the end!"

The creature bared its teeth and suddenly produced as much strength that still swam through its veins. It reached out with one, trembling, clawed hand to seize Rose and she backed up a few paces as it gave up and collapsed to the ground once more. Its chest heaved up and down as it breathed through blood - filled lungs. Its body seemed to slowly curl into itself until it took Rose and the others a moment to realize that it was going through a rapid decomposition phase right before their eyes. But just before it perished, the creature met Rose's gaze and seemed to grin, the left half of its face nothing but a fleshy skull now.

_"Hehehe ... You are ... all dead ... "_

With a final, gurgling moan, the entire head of the creature collapsed into a pile of bubbling, black ooze. Everyone gathered around the black pool of blood and remains, silent for a long time, just staring down at the mush before looking up at the moths with a collection of tense, wary expressions. Now that their 'leader' had died before them, would they still carry out his deeds? They were obviously far too intelligent than the moths that Chris, Jill and Claire had faced before.

Rose decided to try something. Anything to see what results would come out of it. She spoke to the moths. She wouldn't understand them, but maybe there was still something that would bring a mutual understanding... She hoped.

"So ... what are you guys going to do now?" she called, furiously, pointing one finger at the observing insects, "Your guy is dead! So you can go back to your boss and tell him that his ass is next!"

Shockingly enough, the moths seemed to understand what she had said because they suddenly took to the skies in a flurry of wings and fur, disappearing toward the setting sun. Everyone watched the creatures fly away before they looked at one another.

"What the hell just happened?" Jill demanded.

_Raccoon City Underground Base, Eden_

_But I won't let this build up inside of me,  
I won't let this build up inside of me,  
I won't let this build up inside of me,  
I won't let this build up inside of me._

_A catch in my throat,_  
_Choke,_  
_Torn into pieces,_  
_I won't,_  
_no,_  
_I don't want to be this,_  
_But I won't let this build up inside of me,_  
_I won't let this build up inside of me,_  
_I won't let this build up inside of me,_  
_I won't let this build up inside of me._

_She isn't real,_  
_I can't make her real._  
_She isn't real,_  
_I can't make her real._

The room was darkened save for a few fluorescent lights shining bright light below to an enormous chrome-colored pool filled with water. The water rippled somewhat before the 'strange man'' surfaced his head to the length of his nose. After a few brief moments, he raised himself entirely out of the pool, his naked form dripping with water. He was muscular and strong, the suit that he had always worn hiding this very well.

He climbed out and ran both hands against his hair, slicking it back. After a brief moment, he stepped out, gathered a white robe hanging on a hook by the front door before he stepped into his private quarters; the light in the room was dismal here as well, the furniture rather cheap. The white suit laid out on the single bed were neat and clean.

The man smiled and began to dress himself and after he finished, he added an elaborate gold-on-black enamel Umbrella logo which he pinned to the lapel of his elegant dinner jacket. He steps back to consider his reflection in the mirror. He tipped his chin to one side and raised a single brow for a brief moment before he exhaled and closed his eyes, almost as if he were in deep thought.

But he wasn't.

When he opened his eyes again, they had become a blazing red with cat-like slits for irises. He chuckled softly and his entire face and hands began to ripple as if they were made of liquid. Finally, a different man stared back at him through the mirror; the same man whose face had haunted Minerva's mind just before she died. He smiled to himself, showing his inhuman teeth.

"Ahh, now that's better, isn't it ... Alex?" he purred, to himself. His true voice was slightly accented like Albert's.

This was the famous Alex Wesker, his identity covered up through the years and his face erased from all databases, papers and documentation. Not even his own subordinates knew of his true identity purely because of the ruse that he had created after his betrayal of Spencer; his workers thought that he _was _Spencer come back from the dead and that would suit his purposes just fine. This power that he possessed ... A man such as Spencer would never understand nor appreciate it. Alex knew that Spencer would have taken the world's sorrows into his own, selfish, dangerous hands. Alex, however, had a different objective.

There came a tentative knock on the door. "S - Sir?"

Alex cocked his head and altered his appearance and his vocal cords to the young, youthful man once more. "Enter."

The door whooshed open and a man dressed in full-fledged military attire stepped inside, standing at attention. He smiled weakly before he spoke. "Sir, we have a situation."

Alex was usually fine with "situations". After all, he wasn't bothered by the meaningless issues that he was made to deal with. "And what would that be, Lieutenant?" he asked, smiling at him.

Lieutenant Keith Abernathy was always a shifty man, even in his days of Navy SEAL training. He had never successfully completed his training and had always been shunned for it by his family and friends. He had always been a man with expectations shouldered onto him. When he met Alex, the man had known all of his sorrows and his trouble in the world that he was facing everyday. Alex offered him a place at his side to prove to the world that he was the best of the best. Abernathy had willingly taken this offer.

The man shifted on his feet and spoke his words cautiously. "Miles is gone," he informed him; he bristled where he stood when Alex made a complete turn to face him, "The moths have returned without him."

Alex pondered the situation for a brief moment before he chuckled quietly to himself. Ahh, Miles had been a good man indeed. His skills in etymology had proved quite useful with the moths and his military training had made him quite the asset for Alex's plans. Not only had his DNA been sufficient for the injections of his new 'virus', he had also been familiar with Rose and Albert in the past during Alex's "scheming" days. Oh well, to him, this was simply a lesson learned.

"Pity, I liked Miles," Alex murmured, shaking his head, "Oh well, time to press on."

Alex walked out of the room with Abernathy following at his side. "Sir, it's no just an issue with Miles," he told him, "We picked up a wandered who tried to get into the base this morning."

Alex stopped where he stood and Abernathy nearly stumbled in place as he too stopped in place. He looked at Alex warily, wondering what was going through the man's mind. Alex was glancing straight ahead, his features unreadable. When he spoke, his voice had changed somewhat. The Lieutenant really had no name for what he was thinking.

"Really?" Alex said, his voice almost sounded lazy and relaxed, "Where is he now?"

He started forward again and the Lieutenant moved after him. "We've kept him contained in hangar B for now," he told him, "We wanted to wait for you before we made any actions."

The two men stepped into an elevator and Alex lifted his head. "Down please." The elevator doors roared shut and it took them both to the lowest levels of the building itself. Alex smiled at Abernathy from the corner of his eye.

"I have taught you well, Keith," he told him, "Keep it up and perhaps I will give you what you need."

Abernathy nodded his head once, a nervous smile lighting his face. "Thank you, sir," he replied, "I hope that I can." He reacted when the elevator stopped and he waited for Alex to step out first.

They entered an enormous hangar filled with jets, bombers and helicopters of various shapes and sizes. Alex had obtained many of these vehicles through sneaky means during his time with Umbrella. He had even managed to purchase a few of the flying vehicles through bribery of the United States government. When he had made plans, he knew that many vehicles would be needed for round trips across the country.

The sounds of shouting could be heard from across the gaping warehouse of the hangar, some shouting and swearing. Alex could make out several of his soldiers standing over a man tied to a chair by his arms and legs. He smiled to himself. Oh they were like little children playing with a new toy; only this toy was beaten and abused. Alex walked up to the scene and the soldiers immediately parted and grew quiet.

Alex's eyes landed on the beaten man in the chair. His face had been swollen from the fists that he had no doubt been hit by. His denim jacket had been torn slightly with dried blood speckled across his left shoulder.

"Who are you?" Alex asked.

The man did not respond and one of the soldiers kicked the man's legs. He winced in agony, biting back a cry. "He asked you a FUCKING question asshole!" he shouted.

Alex gave the soldier a stern look. "That will not be necessary," he told him. His gaze landed back to the man and he smiled. "Perhaps his conditions are not comfortable for him. Undo his ties."

The soldiers immediately did as he said and moved to untie the man from the chair. He slowly lifted his head and looked up at Alex in confusion. His face was covered in blood and his small stubble flecked with dirt. He was a small man by Alex's standards and he looked to have been one of the many survivors that he knew had lived from the t-virus infection.

"So, tell me..." Alex said, leaning forward, "Who are you?"

The man shivered and spoke, his voice trembling. "W - William Turner ... " he rasped.

"William Turner ... " Alex repeated, savoring the name. "I like that name. It flows very well." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Mr. Turner, would you care to explain why you were here to begin with?"

William shuddered some more and it seemed to intensify. He found his voice and spoke as strong as he could, but it was a poor attempt and almost embarrassing. "I - I saw your announcement in the television! I came to ... to stop you!"

Alex grinned. "Really?" he whispered.

The soldiers started to laugh around him. This guy was truly off of his noggin! Alex looked amused as well. "Tell me, son," he said, softly, "How were you planning on doing such a thing on your own? Do you have some hidden talents that I am overlooking?" His eyes narrowed. Or maybe you wanted to prove something ... Maybe your intentions were not noble at all ... "

William's gaze shifted around the hangar and Alex followed his line of sight to one of the jets. Ahh, so that was it, eh? He wasn't a noble man at all. He was simply a petty thief. And yet, how this petty thief had found his location was a mystery. "I see ... You were planning to steal from me, weren't you?" He inhaled deeply and stood up straight. "Oh dear, well...this will not do then."

William frowned warily. "W-What do you mean?"

Alex's gaze was penetrating and chilling. "I am a man of great patience, Mr. Turner," he told him, "I allow many things to go unpunished because I understand how weak and listless human beings can truly be and that it is my job to change all of that given the nature of the situation. You may think that you are the brightest, the best, the strongest of your kind. But I can wholeheartedly assure you, that is a total delusion on your part. I have no mercy when it comes to thieves ... who steal or attempt to steal from me."

William cried out as the soldiers grabbed him by the arms. "What are you doing?"

Alex smiled calmly and reached up with one hand, stroking William's face like a lover. "'I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself'."

William whimpered and made an attempt to show courage, but he was failing miserably.

"Take him to her," Alex commanded, "She hasn't had a good meal in several hours." He snapped his fingers and the soldiers started dragging him away. He was kicking and screaming.

"WHO'S SHE?" William demanded, screaming, "WHO?"

Alex chuckled quietly. "Why, the Mother's mother of course."

O

The poor man was dragged across a compound, a terrified fire in his eyes, ahead of him stood two scientists armed with long poles that had electrical prods at the end. Abernathy struggled to keep up with the group. One of the scientists noticed the writhing man and put two-and-two together. He nodded to Alex, indicating that he understood.

"S - Sir?" he said, "Uh-we planned to feed her later, after lunch as you requested."

Alex smiled brightly. "She wants live meat," he reminded him, eyes landing to the squirming William, "This one will set the proper example for those who make an attempt to steal from me again."

The compound below was a holding pen of some kind, heavily fortified with electrified bars and spikes. Alex glanced down at William and grabbed him by one arm, lifting him up as if he were a rag doll. William kicked and screamed as Alex's inhuman strength hovered him directly over the cage. Below was sheer forest and vegatation, so it was difficult to tell what was in there exactly.

"N - No!" he begged, "Please, don't do this!"

Alex smiled at him gently before opening his hand and dropping the screaming man at least 15 feet; he disappeared into the shroud of foliage. The jungle seemed to grow very quiet as everyone observed the situation with awe and uneasiness; all but Alex. William was struggling to his feet and Alex observed this with delight. Ahh, so the fall hadn't broken anything. This would be even more fun to watch if he tried to run.

There was a pause in the air and suddenly, William's breathing intensified. Alex and the others could hear him slowly starting to back away. Suddenly, there was a loud, terrified wailing sound from the man, followed by a bizarre and animal scream that sounded demonic and reptilian in nature. It was a warbling, rattling screech that chilled the very blood of the doctors.

"_Oh my God!_" William screamed bloody murder, from somewhere in the wood, "_What the fuck is that?_"

Suddenly, there was a frenzy of trees shaking wildly, the jungle plants swaying and snapping from some frantic activity within; there was a cacophony of growling, of snapping, of wet crunches that meant that the screaming man was literally being torn to pieces and was almost worse being unable to see what was going on exactly below.

Finally, it was quiet.

Alex brightened to the stunned group of people. "Fascinating, isn't she?" he whispered.

O

_Note_- The song here is a snippet of "Vermillion pt.2" by Slipknot. And Alex's quote is by D.H. Lawrence. You'll learn more about Alex's special virus later on.


	45. Chapter 45: To the Depths of Insanity

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Five: ****To the Depths of Insanity **

_"I wish that I could write you a melody so plain, That would save you dear lady from going insane" _

-Bob Dylan

_Catahoula Lake, Louisiana_

It was a cold and wet evening.

Rose hadn't expected a day like this; the weather had been off lately, but never this cold. Despite her raised body temperature, she could still sense a definite difference. Jonas was shivering and holding himself and Beth was making an attempt to hide it. Krauser didn't seem to react to it-he was probably used to harsh conditions-and Wesker was impassive, as usual.

"Guys, did the temperature just drop all of a sudden?" Rose asked, looking back at them, "I can't really feel it because of my heightened body temperature, but I can smell it."

"You're not imagining anything," Wesker told her, casting his gaze outside to the chilling lake outside and the fog that had appeared as soon as they had pulled in. He rolled his eyes at the sight of Chris and his convoy arriving not too far behind them. He murmured his discontent and moved to the back of the RV.

Rose watched him go and frowned, following him into the bedroom. She shut the door behind her and he whirled with a scowl on his face. "Must you do that?" he snapped.

She smiled innocently. "Do what?"

"Slamming that door," he replied, harshly, "I think you delight in these strains on my patience."

Rose immediately softened and stood by the door while he gathered a Semi - Automatic Rifle from beneath the bed. His movements were calm and precise as he began to load the ammunition into the clip.

"Uh, I had to tell you something," she said, "Chris ... When I talked to him, he asked me a very strange question. It kind of bothered me a bit."

Wesker chuckled softly. "Hm. Chris tends to do that," he remarked, smirking at her once before returning his gaze to the weapon, "I wouldn't let it get to you. He doesn't know what he asks half of the time."

Rose inhaled before she spoke. "He asked me if I was in love with you."

Wesker's hand immediately froze in the middle of loading the shells. Rose could tell by his body language-the straightening of his back and the deep inhale; followed by the gentle rising of his chest-that she had indefinitely interested him ... That or given him a reason to become concerned about her future behavior. She watched him curiously and bristled when he spoke again. His voice was still calm, but she knew that there had been effort exerted to achieve such a calm.

"And what did you tell him?" he asked.

Rose didn't respond. She hadn't said anything or answered, but that didn't mean that Wesker wasn't interested in the answer. "I - I didn't tell him anything. I caught the scent of that Miles guy before I could answer."

Wesker resumed work on his weapon. "Hehe. Well, isn't that just convenient?" he sneered, "You dodged a bullet there, didn't you?"

Rose sighed heavily. "I only told you because I wanted to see if you had an answer, but God be damned I should have known the answer all along." she muttered, sarcastically.

Suddenly, Wesker was upon her before she could blink and his face inches from hers. He removed his glasses and glared down at her harshly. His lips were set in a thin, furious line and his eyes blazing red. Rose knew that only happened when his emotions were flaring up.

"You think you know my mind?" he hissed, venomously, "Do you think that you have the audacity to claim that you know the answer to an un - asked question? You are a fool, Rose!"

Rose laughed softly and pretended as if his words didn't even faze her. "Yeah, like how you think I'm no longer of any use because I'm having your child and I could break so easily because I'm so _human _and I happen to give a shit about others. I'm not like you, lonely, powerful and depressed who thinks he's God because he can lift fifty men. Whoop - de - do."

Wesker blinked several times, flustered before he spoke, his voice absolutely furious.

"Stop twisting my words", he replied coldly, "I said nothing of that kind."

"Stop giving me words to twist. No ... you may as well have just said it anyway," Rose snapped, "I mean, you just used me anyway and you even admitted it at the mall in Memphis! So I don't know why you're just NOW getting bent out of shape over it."

Wesker scowled at her and his eyes narrowed. "I'm trying to be realistic here, Rose, " he replied diplomatically, unable to fully disguise his perpetually growing irritation, "I don't think you fully grasp the severity of having a child. You're not thinking about what could happen to it and to you should you go through with this. Yet you persist on pointing fingers at me even when I am not acting irrationally."

Rose laughed sarcastically. "Okay, Mr. High - and - Mighty, you're twisting my words now," she hissed, "You're pretty damn good at making up excuses and lies. If you really have to be a selfish prick to me, you could at least be honest about it. Hell, I thought you hated liars and all that." She suddenly barked out a laugh. "We can add hypocracy to the list of your decent points, can't we?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Rose!" Wesker almost shouted, "I wouldn't waste my time with such nonsense!"

Rose glared up at him. "So I guess it was all just nonsense, huh?" she yelled, "Everything you ever did for me ... Saved my life, fucked my brains out, saved me AGAIN and AGAIN ... _It was all nonsense?_"

There was no doubt that the others could hear this now and Rose didn't think that Wesker or even she cared anymore. He looked stunned by her harsh choice of words and finally, he grabbed her throat in one hand and shoved her into the door. Rose let loose a quick gasp and glowered down at him. She didn't struggle this time; he wouldn't make an ass out of himself with his greatest enemy nearby and she knew that. After all, he had his pride to think about and the fact that Chris was not to know about her child any time soon.

Wesker leaned forward and his eyes seemed to flare up further until they were now bright, glowing orbs. When he whispered to her, his voice was the very epitome of passion and fury all at once. Rose was stunned by it because she had never heard him sound like that before.

"I want and I desire you more than you could possibly imagine, and there's nothing I want more right now than to have you naked and screaming beneath me ... " he hissed, "I ache in ways that you cannot imagine, Rose and yet all in all, I find myself feeling foolish and angry with myself for such petty, weak feelings." He watched her shocked expression and smiled sarcastically. "I should have never made you into what I am, but ... I cannot change what has happened, but I can adapt to this as I have once before."

He was like a dark cloud over her, piercing her gaze with his intense, fiery stare. He was standing so close, his body pressed against her own and she now became aware of his musky scent, and the hotness of his breath on her skin. Rose didn't know what to say; he had never looked at her like that before. Finally, he closed his eyes with a sigh and when he opened them again, the passion and raw emotion had faded away and he looked like his usual reserved self again, releasing his grip on her throat.

"So ... that is the truth ... " he murmured, quietly, "It will give you a better understanding of my somewhat ... 'stressful'... days that I have had. I do not find it very important to the more severe situations we are facing." He took a deep inhale. "It is not in my way to want someone else."

Rose chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. That seemed like a bunch of bullshit to her. "Right ... So I just happen to be one of those lucky ones, huh?" she snarked, "Oh! Wait, Excella was a lucky one for a short time anyway and look what happened to her!"

Wesker looked weary now. "Rose, I have told you before not to bring up that woman ..." he murmured, displeased, "She meant absolutely nothing to me save for her connections which helped in the creation of my virus."

"So where does that leave little ol' me?" Rose hissed, arching one eyebrow.

"I don't know," Wesker replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm and something akin to indecision, "Perhaps we'll just have to see what comes out of this. Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to. So could you please understand that and cease your petty feminine bickering. Or can you at least save it for when I am either sleeping or somewhere other than with you?"

Rose actually softened somewhat and grinned at that. "No promises."

Wesker rolled his eyes with a murmur of displeasure and handed her the Rifle. "Save it for those who deserve it ... Like Chris."

Rose couldn't resist her laugh.

After the little "exchange", everyone quickly gathered outside and stood before the gated estate within the fog that surrounded them. It was an eerie sight; the windows were dark and cracked, the pain was an aged, tinted baby blue and the pillars crumbled away, slouching the canopy of the house to one way. It was dark and quiet, the wind whistling ever so slightly around the group. They were standing silent before Rose spoke.

"Alright you guys," she said, "We're going to split up and search the house for anything that might be important in catching this asshole. We'll stay in touch by radio. If you run into anything or you end up in trouble, phone at once."

There were a few nods and murmurs of acknowledgement to the plan. All but a few BSAA soldiers whispered amongst themselves with caution and trepidation. Rose spun around and glared at them.

"You dicks got a problem?" she snapped.

Two of them BSAA men glanced at each other before one of them started speaking. "How do we know that you're not just leading us into a trap?" he asked her, suspiciously.

Rose frowned impatiently. "What?"

"He's right," the other soldier whispered; he was slightly more reluctant to agree with his comrade, but he did regardless, "You're one of them ... them ... Wesker kids - - or whatever - - so you have to be leadin' us on. How can we even trust you?"

Wesker suddenly whirled on the man and brought his nose inches from his face. He spoke in an icy, whispered tone of menace. "I think the question is, 'how will you stay alive if you don't'?"

The BSAA soldier recoiled with unease and watched as Wesker and his group moved inside the building. The rest hesitated for a brief moment before Chris took a step to advance. Jill stopped him with one hand onto his shoulder.

"Chris, wait!" she whispered, "What if he's right? What if they're baiting us on?"

Chris curled his lips with a quiet closed - mouth sigh. he arched his brows at her. "Rose somehow has Wesker on a leash for now," he told her, "So we'll just keep our eyes open and see what we can figure out in the meantime. Just ... Just don't get stuck alone with him, alright? Stay close to me and we won't have to worry about anything."

Ivan snickered quietly. "You will make the sex time in a house like this, yes?" he teased, "My ... how naughty!"

"Shut up!" Jill and Chris said, simultaneously, blushing and glaring at him all at the same time.

O

It was like a haunted house inside, a glorious ruin, once spectacular, now mysterious and threatening. It brought back memories for Chris and Jill who had practically spent their worst lives in an old house like this. The chandeliers and furniture were covered with sheets that rippled on breezes from a thousand faults in the old, stale walls. Indistinct noises echoed within the ceiling, the floor, as the group entered with their weapons at the ready.

"Whew, this house is old as hell, man!" Jonas gasped, smiling in awe. He looked over at Rose. "It tops your spook house easy, huh?"

Rose couldn't resist her smirk and rolled her eyes at the joke. "Yeah, yeah..." she muttered, good - naturedly. "I know."

"I wonder if they even have cable in this shit hole," a BSAA soldier remarked.

Suddenly, something cracked loudly with a thunderous booming sound and it echoed clear throughout the empty house, creating an echo and jolting everyone where they stood; they cast their gazes toward the front doors. A heavy downpour had started outside and lighting flashed throughout the sky. They met each others' gazes and Wesker gave Rose a smirk.

"Afraid of the rain?" he sneered.

She scoffed and added, equally taunting. "I was just going to ask you that."

"Alright, break it up you two," Chris told them, "I think we should first check the entire perimeter before we split up. That way there's no surprises for any of us to deal with alone."

The others seemed to agree with him, all but Wesker. He simply smirked in amusement and shook his head. "That is why you would never make a good leader, Chris," he snarked, "It would be too much of a waste of time to go about that idea. Besides, aren't we all capable of looking out for our own?" He locked gazes with the Russians. "I'm quite certain that we can manage."

Ivan chuckled lowly and nodded his head. "There is nothing my men not face!"

The Russians murmured their agreement and they looked quite anxious to get the ball rolling and begin their task. "Ivan, we are ready!" a Russian hissed, grinning broadly at his superior.

Ivan looked down at Mischa with a gentle smile. "What of my son?" he asked.

Mischa gave Claire a quick look before he returned his attention to his father. "I am ready, papa," he answered, smiling up at him.

"Good," Ivan responded, smirking.

"Well, then," Wesker announced, "Split up and search the house. Keep in touch should you find anything." He chuckled over at Chris. "I hope that isn't too much trouble for some of us."

Chris glared at him, but had no response this time.

O

The very windows around them were blocked by the heavy rain and from this point, there was no indication of time outside; even the clocks seemed to have halted all time to a precise point of 12:20. Jonas, Beth and Krauser took the first floor, Chris, Jill, Leon and Claire took the second, the BSAA soldiers took the third floor, Rose and Wesker took the basement and the Russians took the rest of the perimeter.

The house itself was enormous, so it would take some time to investigate. The BSAA soldiers were communicating with one another while they searched a bedroom, turning books over and pushing paintings aside.

"Whaddya think they want us searchin' this house for anyway?" one of the men - - Sergeant Redd muttered, absently.

His comrade - - Corporal Topps scoffed and shook his head while the remaining four disappeared from the room. " Don't know, don't care," he replied, "You know the drill. We don't question orders, Redd, we execute 'em."

Redd rose from his crouched position from the bed as Topps lowered a picture frame. "Well, did you find anything?" Redd asked.

"Nope," Topps replied, "Let's check out the other rooms."

The two abandoned their spot and walked out of the room. While they disappeared into the darkened hallway, the painting that Topps had removed from the wall began to flicker with a small light beacon attached to the base of it. It was so small, that Topps had simply missed spotting it. The beacon seemed to send out a signal to the lowest pits of the estate, deep to the very bottom into a water-logged chamber where a computer system clicked to life.

Outside, Ivan had begun to scale his way up to the roof. He pressed a finger to his COM headset and spoke. "Ivan here ... Mikhail ... you copy?"

"_Da._" Mikhail answered, through the link.

"Find anything?" Ivan asked.

"_No, sir ... _" Mikhail answered.

Ivan couldn't believe that his friends had found nothing yet. He couldn't shake the feeling from his bones that there was something wrong. He didn't mind the rain that pelted his body or the darkness around him, but the silence was what dug at his nerves. Trying to ebb it away, he quickly signaled out Claire's COM and smirked, listening to the sounds of Leon and Claire arguing.

"Miss. Redfield, do you copy?"

On the other end, Claire was going through a desk and she grinned at the sound of Ivan's voice. "I copy, go ahead," she said, glaring after Leon as he walked from the room. He shot her a colder look in his departure.

"_Is Mr. Kennedy being rude?_" Ivan asked.

Claire laughed quietly and shook her head. "Ivan, he's just being what every man is sometimes, a douche bag," she remarked, ignoring the scoffing sound from the hallway, "You know how some men are."

A low chuckle answered her. "_If I were boyfriend, I'd respect you much more. Miss. Redfield deserves that_."

Claire paused for a moment in her shuffling and knotted her brow. That had been the sweetest thing she had ever really heard anyone say. Claire wasn't much for all that sappy stuff in a relationship, but to hear something like that made her blush somewhat on the other end. She inhaled quickly before responding.

"Thank you..."

On the rooftops, Ivan was smiling warmly to himself. When she had said those simple, small words, his heart almost swelled. Perhaps Mikhail's suspicions had been correct after all this time.

He was fond of this ... American girl.

Suddenly, he felt it once more; the eerie presence immediately returned and he snapped his gaze out toward the grass. He squinted his slit eye to the shadows, ignoring Claire's questionable "Ivan" so that he could focus on what he had just seen move out there. With a curious frown, he noticed shapes beginning to rise out from the muck and lake that circled the estate. His eyes slowly widened and he tapped his COM.

"Claire! Alert others!" he commanded.

Claire stood up from her position with a frown. "Why?" she asked.

"_Look outside,_" Ivan answered, "_We have company..._"

Claire looked outside of the shattered window; her eyes grew wide in horror and she touched her COM again. "Uh ... Chris ... I think that we're going to have a little problem here ... " she said.

Surrounding the entire estate were visually hundreds of drenched zombies covered in rain and mud, slowly stalking toward the house with a droning chorus of hungry moans and gurgling sounds.

O

"Shit! We're fucking surrounded!"

"Advancing!"

"Affirmative!"

"Spread out! Stay on your toes!"

Bullets were fired, shots were taken and heads went rolling. It seemed as if the more zombies were taken out, more would take their place. Their numbers seemed endless as they swarmed into the house through windows and cracks, creating chaos and causing destruction all in their path.

From a balcony, Beth watched as two zombies, began to swarm over a single Russian man. "Oh hell no, I am not having this shit." she snapped, clicking her TMP rifle and drawing the attention of the two ghouls to her. "Hey, I'm ready for you!"

Behind her, A decomposed hand poked out of a hole beneath the carpet. It groped wildly and found purchase on the floor. Beth was unaware of the danger as the zombie pulled itself from the hole; once a man, once a scientist. It was wearing a lab coat and a pair of thick glasses on its decayed face. As it pulled itself up, its eyeglasses struck the side of the wooden shards and they fell, with a loud clatter. Sickeningly enough, the rims sliced the flesh of the zombie's cheek as if it were made of a thin, wet paper.

Beth heard that noise now. She spun around and spotted the zombie, reaching out hungrily with both hands. Beth felt the railing against her back as she took a few steps backwards. She aimed her weapon but - - CLICK - - it was empty. Her eyes grew wide for a brief second before she tossed the butt end of the rifle into the zombie's cheekbone. The creature lurched roughly, but came for her again.

"Let me serve you up a knuckle sandwich, asshole!" she spat.

Suddenly, a rainfall of bullets peppered the entire zombie's upper torso and Beth shielded her face from the shrapnel to avoid being shredded to ribbons. She watched in amazement as the corpse hit the floor with a dull thud. Jonas rushed to her side with a smoking handgun in one hand, grinning widely at her.

Beth smiled back. "Thanks, big guy!" she told him, "I owe you one."

Meanwhile, Rose and Wesker were busy underground, making an attempt to find the laboratory that Astrid had told them about. Rose was getting frustrated by the lack of success and she scowled back at Wesker who slashed at a keypad with two hands.

"Come on, my nose runs faster!" she barked.

He glowered at her. "Do you want to do this, then?" he spat.

"Delighted!" Rose shouted, pushing him aside and shoving her entire fist into the keypad. She ripped out a handful of wires with a loud crackling sound that immediately followed; bits of electricity shot through her arm from the damaged pad and the resulting energy sent her falling to the floor with a loud cry of pain. Wesker flinched and then grinned at the low moaning sounds and soft swears that filled the air.

Wesker looked down at her and bent down to one knee. He was smirking at her smoking hair and charred face. "Your techniques are to be admired, Miss Bedford," he told her, chuckling. "I must say, that is a good look for you."

"Oh shut up and find the light!"

Rose could hear various static-filled communications between the others throughout the house.

_"__ ... anyone read ... e, over? I'm gett ... lot of inter ... ence!" _Claire shouted.

_"Claire! Thank ... od. Where ... ou?"_ Ivan cried.

Claire could barely be heard. _"Hold up ... com's ... appin' out!"_

_"M - Mine too!"_ Ivan added, _"There ... There... interference!"_

Leon's voice piped up between static. _"Figure ... later ... stay ... safe ... "_

O_  
_

The keypad had opened a steel door that led into a water-logged floor of laboratories, office rooms and and glass walls. Rose and Wesker walked through the ankle - high warer and approached one of the walls which separated the lab from the corridor. There were small narrow streams of water gushing out of the imperfections in the seals. The water inside was murky and even for the two of them, the visibility was zero.

"What do you think happened in here?" Rose asked, glancing at Wesker.

"Hard to say," Wesker replied, casting his eyes around them, "Perhaps there was a breech in the... " He stopped in his tracks and frowned; something had caught his attention inside one of the laboratories behind the glass wall.

"What is it?" Rose asked, looking at him.

Wesker pressed two fingers against the glass. He seemed to be focusing on something. Slowly, he drew his hand back, all fingers pointing straight upwards before he drove them into the glass wall, shattering it to pieces. The glass shards sprinkled into the water and Wesker stepped over into the laboratory. Rose followed behind him and cocked her head, confused, her features silently asking what had gotten his attention all of a sudden.

"The Halon content here is unusually high," he told her, "Not only that, I saw something ... " He pushed several floating crates aside with two hands until he found what it was he was looking for. It was a computer tower with a large black screen. Several keys lined the console as well as two retinal scanners. "Well ... now isn't that just fascinating?" He turned to Rose with a strange look.

She seemed to understand the silent request because she waded over to him. Along the sides of the computer system, there was a logo and an inscription: "PROPERTY OF UMBRELLA CORP." She pressed a hand against it and frowned over at Wesker.

"This ... It's warm ... " she told him.

He nodded with a grave expression. "Perhaps the intention was to make sure that we were to see whatever was on it," he replied, gesturing to a tiny light on the computer that flickered over and over, indicating that it was active.

Rose stared at the screen for a brief moment before she pressed a hand to the pad. Immediately, the screen lit up with a flash of light, temporarily blinding the two. There was a moment of static before the screen filled with the face of the man - - Alex - - in his youthfully handsome form. With a low chuckle, he spoke, his false blue eyes locking with hers.

_"Rose Bedford ... "_ he whispered, chuckling softly, _"You've been ... a very ... very ... naughty little girl."_

O_  
_

Meanwhile, the others were struggling to take out the crowds of undead that poured from every escape route to get them. Ivan had split one of the zombies from groin to gullet with his somewhat inhuman strength.

"Where Wesker?" he demanded, glaring over at Mischa.

Mischa kicked both legs out, smashing them against a zombie's skull and shattering it to ribbons. He whirled on his father. "Perhaps he has gone away to some place less creepy and bad smelling?"

Chris was dangling over the two Russians, clinging to a chandelier. He swung back and forth before he aimed the barrel of his Winchester at two zombies moving in for his sister as she struggled to push them aside from a doorway. He blasted a round through the creature's belly, only for it to have no effect. Claire grimaced as guts and blood struck her chest and face from the resulting blast.

"CHRIS!" she protested.

The zombie reached for Claire's throat and started to lean in to bite her. Suddenly, it was grabbed in one burly hand and lifted off of her, the force sending Claire falling to the floor on her ass. Claire looked up in amazement at Ivan who crushed both of the zombie's skulls into mush with a single grip of both hands. He smirked down at her shaking the goo from his hands and she chuckled.

"Thanks, big guy." she said.

He smiled at her. "Anything for you."

During the tender moment, Leon had seen everything. He frowned furiously before looking over at Jill as she jumped down onto a desk. She fired another accurate pistol round at two zombies as they made attempts to crawl through the window. Jill jumped to the floor and started to push the desk. Chris swung down from the chandelier, landing onto the balcony and leaping over the stairway to help her. Together, they shoved the desk into the window.

"Hurry! Block the windows!" Jill shouted, to the others.

There were more moaning figures approaching out of the darkness of the rain and tall grass. Everyone stared down at the piles of the dead around them and they knew that their ammo would not be enough for another round. Right now, they had a few seconds to buy time to board up the exits and entrances. But time was not on their side and they were losing plenty of it with each second that ticked away.

O

_Note_-Yay! Mansion zombies! We miss that, don't we RE fans?


	46. Chapter 46: A Place of Mental Scars

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Six: ****A Place of Mental Scars**

_Catahoula Lake, Louisiana_

Meanwhile, below the chaos that was raging above them, Rose and Wesker had begun their conversation with Alex. So far, there had been no exchange of words that were of any real importance. Rose was smirking sarcastically while Wesker was glowering at the man with murderous intent. Whoever he was and whatever he wanted, he would find out soon enough, no matter what.

"Hey, I'm still alive, ain't I?" she sneered, "I mean, you've GOT to be running out of bad guys by now, right? Huh? Spencer? Whoever the hell you are ... " She watched the calm, thoughtful smile on his face. "I mean, how does that work, exactly? Is it a lot like a HELP WANTED deal? Got some kind of service or something? Some kind of 800 number? Oh, you know what? I bet you're still on hold with, 'Can I get another dead British hooker bitch over here right away'?"

_"Oh my, you are a delight, Rose!" _Alex crooned, leaning back in his chair, _"I have never met one as amusing and wonderful such as yourself!" _He sighed and resumed his professional pitch. _"But I am here for business, not pleasure. You see, you are here for a reason, Rose, you have come to discover the truth about yourself and the reason why I have done what I did to this world."_

"Yeah, I guess we have," Rose snapped, rolling her eyes. Get to the point.

_"Well, since you have come all this way and murdered many of my associates to get here, I would be delighted to tell you what you must know," _Alex continued, _"Ask and it will be given to you ... "_

"What have you done to my mother?" Rose demanded, interrupting him.

Before Alex responded to her, there came a shout from Beth in the opposite room where the doors to the basement and the upper house led. The others rushed into the laboratories, yelping against the cold water that they were forced to wade their way in. Ivan immediately bent the steel of the doors to prevent any of the undead from following them inside. When Beth saw Rose and Wesker by the computer system, she hurried over and the others soon followed behind. Wesker looked slightly discontented by the company and even voiced it quite easily.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Well, unlike you, we were actually doing some work!" Chris barked at him, breathless, "We've sealed the doors and windows to the upper floor, so they're not getting in for a while. It should buy us some time!" He glanced over at the computer. "I guess you found something?"

"Perceptive ... " Wesker murmured.

Alex chuckled softly and all eyes turned to him. "Who's that?" Claire asked.

_"Ahh! The whole family is here!" _Alex said, his voice absolutely contented, yet thrilled by this all at once, _"This truly is so very wonderful! Now everyone is here and you can all learn the truth!"_

Rose snarled at him and punched the computer with one fist. Her sudden, brash actions caused Beth to jump in surprise and Jonas to wilt slightly from it. "What have you done to my mother?" she nearly screamed.

Alex softened at her ferocity and he rubbed a finger up and down the length of his narrow cheek bones. _"Oh my dear, sweet Rose ... so much has happened to you ... " _he whispered, shaking his head, _"I pity you, I truly do. Even for one such as myself, I find this life to be very ... mundane; there comes a time in everyone's life when it becomes __momentarily unbearable. Living and feeding in the shadows with only your own company rots into a solitary, hollow existence. You have become beautiful in this, however; your suffering makes you what you are today ... A stronger person."_

His image suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a video of two smiling, happy people dressed in Hawaiian t-shirts and shorts. They were standing on what looked like a cruise ship in the Bahamas. Rose's features quickly softened at the scene and a warmth touched her eyes. They slowly brimmed with tears and Wesker watched her reactions with a curious frown. The others had gotten awfully quiet now as well; they too were intrigued by the sight of the two people on the screen. It was no doubt that these were Rose's birth parents; the similarities were striking.

The man was strong in appearance and a very attractive physical specimen. His eyes were a shade of chocolate brown and his hair short and jet black, slicked back behind his ears with gel. He was cradling a martini glass in one hand and his arm was wrapped lovingly around his wife. She looked so much like Rose in every way; her hair was long and flowing over her neck and shoulders, her piercing blue eyes enough to stun even the coldest of men. She had full, pink lips, narrow cheek bones and thin, arched eyebrows.

"So ... those are your parents ... " Jonas whispered, amazed.

Rose chuckled bitterly. "That can't be them ... "

Beth and Wesker looked at her in confusion. "Why do you say that, Rose?" Beth asked.

"They're beautiful ... "

Wesker almost looked alarmed by Rose's response.

Alex's voice filled the air once more as the two people began to swim inside the pool on the ship. _"Oh Rose ... You will learn that beauty is not what your bones are dressed in ... It is how you suffer and what you become of that suffering. No muscle ... No flesh ... no bone can reveal the beauty save for what you have become today." _He inhaled deeply. _"Oh ... James and Dahlia Pierce ... what a pair they were. The day that you were born was the happiest day of their lives ... "_

The video changed now and it showed the two people - - James and Dahlia - - sitting out in what looked like their back yard on a porch swing. Dahlia was cradling an infant in her arms, wrapped in white towels. Rose lightly smiled at the love in the woman's eyes.

"_James ... come on ..._ " Dahlia protested, smiling tenderly, "_Put that silly thing down for a second and come hold your daughter!_"

A laugh from the man - - James - - answered her from behind the camera. "_I want to get every moment, Dahlia!_" he insisted, "_This is for the memory books!_" He laughed when she rolled her eyes with amusement. "_What? Look, Rose is going to want something for her grand - kids to laugh at, right?"_

The woman arched her brows skeptically and Beth laughed softly at the expression. At least now she knew where Rose got that look from. "_Get your butt over here!_" Dahlia scolded, good - naturedly.

James laughed and the camera jolted wildly before it was place at an angle where the audience could still see the two parents snuggled together on the porch swing. Rose felt a hot lump form in the back of her throat and her eyes narrowed as the image disappeared to Alex once more.

_"Yes ... they loved you so much ... their precious daughter ... Roselyn Jean Pierce ... that was your true name before I took steps to make sure that you had the life that you needed for your future. Everything that a child could want in life, I made yours." _

Rose clenched her teeth. "I HAD everything that a child could want!" she raged, "I had a good fucking family and you took that away from me!"

Alex furrowed his brow at the rage and shook his head. _"Oh Rose ... even after you have become a goddess, you still have a few lingering mortal emotions. They'll serve you no good, my dear." _He chuckled quietly. _"Shall I show you more? Or have your eyes been exposed to what your brain can no longer process?"_

Rose tightened her throat, not entirely positive that she wanted to see more, but she knew that she had to. Alex smirked at that and the images changed to another video. This one was a scientific documentation. All around the room were metal walls, flashing lights and clicking machines. In the center of the room was a woman sitting on a table. She was wearing a pale blue tank top with a small pair of shorts. Across her ankle was a tattoo that had been branded into her. It was the symbol of FEMALE that had been gnarled and twisted into appearing like something wicked.

To Rose's horror, this was in fact her mother. The once beautiful, shining black hair had been dulled and disheveled, her shoulders were bony and jutting and the nails of her feet and hand looked to have been left to rot. Her eyes were sunken into her head and there was no life in them anymore. There were two doctors there with her. One was drawing blood from her other arm. He deposited it in a test beaker and studied her for a few moments. Off to the side, another doctor entered the room and Rose clenched her teeth with fury.

It was Craig Melbourne.

To the side, she could hear Jonas and Beth's gasps of horror. Wesker sounded amused. "Ahh ... I could only guess that he was behind it after all ... " he whispered, "Such a fool of a man, wasn't he?"

Rose was no longer listening.

"_How's our lady doing today?_" Craig asked.

"_She appears to be in good health _... " the doctor answered, "_Extraordinary as well. Nothing we have given her can adapt to her body. Yet ... look at this!_" He showed Craig some of the photos inside a folder. "_Look at the scar tissue. See the recession?_"

"_This is from_ - - "

"_Yesterday!_"

"_This is good. This is very good_."

Craig walked up to Dahlia and stood in front of her; he chuckled and studied her face with irritating and smarmy satisfaction. Rose felt like punching the screen where his face had occupied. "_Well, it looks like you're going to make us all very proud_," he told her, smirking devilishly, "_After all, your daughter can live happy knowing her mother died doing what was best for her_."

Suddenly, Dahlia grabbed his throat with dazzling speed, applying deadly pressure with one hand as she brought his face to hers. So she was growing in her strength from the injections that she was no-doubt receiving from these people. Her eyes were burned but lost but a light smile was touching her lips and she brought them to his ear, hissing out her next words through a dry set of vocal cords. "_She'll kill you all ..._ " she whispered.

And just at that moment, a guard rushed in, leveling his strange-looking weapon at Dahlia. The guard fired his rifle at her and a powerful electrical charge lashed out and sent her flying back into the corner. The doctors scattered in shock and looked over at a stunned Dahlia as she struggled to her feet. Rose cheered inwardly for her mother giving Craig exactly what he had deserved all of those years.

_"Dahlia had a fighting spirit just like you have, Rose ... She always kept one photo of you close at hand every day and reminded herself who you were, not letting anyone allow for her to forget that she had a daughter...a reason to fight." _Alex continued. _"She gave us all quite the battle ... "_

Rose's voice was small. "What happened to her?" she asked, squeaking out the question.

Alex exhaled and the images changed to a dark and dampened cage. The conditions were utterly horrible and disgusting - looking that those watching had no doubt that not a single living thing could exist inside of it. But sure enough, inside the cage was a writhing, gurgling shape that scratched long, bleeding nails into the stone walls, mumbling liquid gibberish over and over to herself. Rose's sorrow felt so intense at the grisly sight that her chest ached with a burning sensation; it threatened to tear her apart. Her mother, that once smiling, beautiful, happy woman from before ... There was no more of that woman in this video now.

"Jesus ... " Chris whispered, cringing from the sight.

_"This security camera was to observe her every action during the time to...see if she was falling prey to her daily injections ... She spent so long fighting to keep her humanity...but eventually...she began to lose that battle," _Alex continued, _"Her suffering ... It was becoming more than she could bear." _He made an amused sound. _"She even asked for me to kill her one day."_

The woman on screen seemed to look toward the camera and her eyes were no longer human but a demonic shade of unholy yellow. Rose could make out words that she had carved into the wall with her own blood-stained nails:

**ROSEROSEROSEROSEROSE**

**SHESHESHESHESHE**

**BABYBABYBABYBABY**

**MINE!MINE!**

Dahlia was trying to keep the memory of her daughter alive for as long as she possibly could in this hellhole. She reached one shaking hand up toward the wall where the now aged photo of a baby Rose was pinned to the stone. Her mind was beginning to lose touch with her reality around her and she could no longer recall if she put the photo up or someone else. She stroked the tattered image almost reverently before something opened up above her, casting her image in light for a brief moment. Someone had opened up a shaft and began to pour chunks of something onto the woman.

"Oh my God ... " Claire whispered, horrified.

The chunks were what Rose could tell, scraps and remnants of some kind of meat and bone - - she didn't have to guess what they were because she had a suspicion that they had once been part of a human. She grimaced with pain and disgust as she watched the woman who had once been her mother scramble wildly to take and eat the scraps being fed to her. She greedily stuffed them into her mouth as fast as she could, taking swift gulps of air between bites and slurps. Her fingers smeared the goo all over her face and she let loose a horrible, rasping wail that raised every hair on the audience's bodies.

_"Eventually ... she gave in ... "_

O_  
_

Rose felt her body shaking in heavy tremors but she didn't feel Beth's hand on her shoulder. Alex watched her reactions with a calm and contented smile. There were definitely tears streaming down her face and her voice was filled with choking groans of absolute fury. It was a very touching sight for a twisted man such as himself; he knew what she felt and he enjoyed it to the highest level.

"You ... you _FUCKER!_" the woman shrieked, spitting in her hatred, her eyes flaring bright red in fury, "When I find you ... so help me God ... I'll tear you in half, do you hear me?" She didn't even care that she sounded like a psychopath in front of her startled comrades. "I'll fucking rip your face off!"

Alex suddenly laughed loudly with pleasure at the threats, his head tilting to one side with a broad grin on his face. It lit up his eyes in a very eerie way. Threats were absolutely nothing to him; they rolled off of his shoulders like a sprinkling mist. But he so enjoyed them at the same time, curious as to how far they would be taken or if the threats carried any promise whatsoever. _"Yesss! A contest it is, then! Oh I hope you find me soon, my dear!" _he hissed, excitement in his voice, _"I cannot wait for you to come!"_

"You're a sick bastard!" Rose screamed, venomously; her fists shook hard and her nails dug deep into the flesh there, but she didn't even care about that, "You're no fucking different from these goddamn monsters!"

Alex suddenly stopped laughing and his voice carried a strange tone to it as he leaned forward slowly in his chair; it was neither seductive nor curious and it chilled Rose's spine. _"And you ... precious Rose. What are you?" _he asked.

Rose looked stunned, her red eyes wide.

A sickening snapping sound filled the air and all heads looked back at the direction of it. The zombie horde had finally broken through the blockade that the others had created above and were struggling to shove their way through the metal door. Alex observed his audience as they backed away from it. Behind him, a man in a lab coat walked up and cupped his mouth, whispering into his ear.

"Sir...they're delivering the Package and they should be within the perimeter in fifteen minutes..." the man informed him.

Alex smiled and nodded once. "Excellent!" He turned his attention back to Rose and her friends. "You should hurry, that door will not hold them at bay for long. There is a laundry chute that will take you to the outside. You do not want to miss the surprise I have in store for you, Rose ... " He switched the computer off before leaning back and considering his next plan of action. "Come to me ... Mother ... come and bring your pain ... to Raccoon City. I am waiting for you."

O

"I don't know how the FUCK I let you guys talk me into this."

Ivan was the first down the chute. He chuckled to himself as he slid down the cold, metal tube. "This not unlike escaping mother's womb," he mused, "God, what memory that is ... " He landed hard onto the cold grass with a grunt.

The entire team took turns sliding down the chute and out into the stormy night, moving as quickly as they could before the undead would break free and reach them. Ammunition was sparse because of the hordes that had nearly overwhelmed them, so acquiring more would be top priority. There were grenades and very few RPG rounds with their vehicles that they could use.

Wesker smirked at Rose and gestured gallantly to the chute. "Ladies first," he told her, smirking at her irritated expression.

Rose tried to smile, despite it being forced and rather unappealing at glance. She climbed into the chute, pressed her hands at her sides and slid down it. She landed hard on her ass in the dampened, soaked grass below where Jonas helped her stand. He chuckled and gestured up the chute with one hand.

"I should have mentioned you might get a little wet," he joked.

Rose smiled sadly at the joke and turned her attention toward the RV. She began to walk toward it without saying anything more. The others hurried to their designated vehicles; Chris and Claire took the time to share a word with each other alone. Claire seemed to take Rose's side simply because of the fall of the woman's mother. Claire knew what that had felt like, losing a mother.

Chris didn't really share this. "Claire, we still don't know if we can trust her," he protested.

"Chris, I am not flying blind here," Claire told him, her voice chastising his own, "Rose hasn't done anything wrong just yet. She's not Wesker! I think ... I don't know ... I just think that she deserves one shot to prove herself." Her expression changed now and she looked at Chris with a bit of painful history in those eyes. "Come on, Chris. You can't say you don't know how she feels. She lost her mother to this guy."

Chris sighed heavily through his nostrils and pondered just what he was supposed to feel about this new information. There was a loud cracking sound like wood being snapped in half and his head jolted upwards. The zombies were beginning to pour their way from the house now, aware of the fact that their prey no longer resided within but was escaping. "Shit ... we need to go ... NOW!" he said, starting to pull out of the path that led into the streets.

Those who hadn't made it to the now moving vehicles were racing alongside them until they latched onto the backs, not the least bit worried about getting out like this than not getting out at all. While the vehicles drove away into the rain, down the darkened streets, the group took the time to salvage what they had learned.

"So, this guy is hiding in Raccoon City somewhere ... " Jill pondered, reaching behind her to take out a world atlas map from a side pocket in her seat. She opened to the COLORADO labeled map and ran her fingers over the page.

Leon was driving with her. He gave her a sideways glance and stared down at the map. "I guess we're en route for Raccoon City, then."

At the lead of the convoy, Rose was driving and she did not even care how wet she was if it dripped all over the seat or not. The others were talking their plans over, so she had no interest in what they were saying right now. In fact, Rose had no interest in anything save for the murder of this man. Normally, Rose would never condone such a thing and she was righteous enough to understand its consequences.

But all thoughts disappeared when a strange noise filled her ears.

Rose couldn't describe the sound really in words, but she immediately felt a bizarre sense of warmth through every layer of her clothing to the deep center of her bones. Glancing back over her shoulders, Rose took notice that the others did not hear it at all. They were going about their conversations as if nothing was going on. The sound that pulsated inside of her head was like a soothing ringing in her ears. Rose felt weightless now as if she were floating, her eyes relaxed and her body defying her. Whatever was going on, she no longer felt sad, angry or even happy.

She felt empty. But the empty where nothing else mattered but herself.

O

All heads turned to Rose and the conversations ended abruptly when she stopped the RV. The stop had come so suddenly that the following cars bumped into the back end of one another, jolting everyone in their seats. The halt was surprising, but they had brought their vehicles to a stop before they could seriously damage one another. They looked stunned and many poked their heads out from their windows to shout angrily at one another.

"What the hell did you stop for?" Jill shouted, up at Chris.

He shouted back at her, just as bemused. "I didn't! It was Wesker!"

Jill frowned impatiently. "Well why the hell did HE stop, then?"

Ivan cupped his mouth and shouted up to all of them from the back of the convoy. "Not want to be the buzz of mill, but we move now, yes?" he called, to them all, "Whoever stop better move their ass!"

Mischa tried not to laugh. "That's 'buzz kill', papa."

Ivan smiled sheepishly. "Ah ... "

The RV was parked to the side of the road and Rose stood up from her spot. She started for the side door, but Wesker and the others stopped her immediately. "Rose, what the hell are you doing?" Krauser demanded, "They could be following us!"

She was smiling at him, her eyelids dropped halfway over her eyes. She seemed to be in a very dreamy state; her arms hung limply against her sides and her shoulders were relaxed. It looked like she didn't even see him standing there.

"I think we'll be okay now," she answered, her voice quiet and almost hypnotized.

Wesker frowned at her. He recognized something different in the woman's eyes. She wasn't looking at him when he spoke to her. She was staring straight ahead of him. "What are you talking about, Rose?" he snapped.

"Move, please," Rose requested, in that perpetual monotone voice.

Jonas cocked his head and waved a hand in front of her face, trying to see for any reaction to it. She didn't flinch. "Rose ... Uh ... Y - You're starting to scare me here," he stammered, taking her wrist as she opened the side door to go out into the rain, "Come on, I think you need to lay down for a little while."

"I'm fine," Rose answered, pulling her wrist from his grip and slowly walking outside.

Everyone watched as Rose walked through the tall grass toward the lake. They had no idea what was going on or what she was doing. "ROSE!" Chris shouted, "What the hell are you doing!"

They continued calling for her.

"ROSE!"

"ROSE! Get back here!" Wesker called, in command.

Rose was staggering toward the lake, her face bright and relaxed. "I - I see it ... " she whispered to herself, voice drugged and yet so very happy, "I'm ... I'm coming ... Don't worry, I'm coming ... "

All through the grass, several decayed forms began to move toward Rose. She acted as if she didn't see them at all and continued to walk. The others gasped with horror and hurried to prepared their weapons.

"Rose, you trying to get yourself killed!" Jonas cried.

Claire looked over at Chris and quickly climbed out of her side of the truck, "Shit, hurry and cover her!"

Wesker glanced further into the direction of the lake and it was there that he noticed something drifting within the water. It was a massive, black shape with a set of yellow eyes that glowed beneath the water and a tube-like protrusion with a glimmering orb at the end of it jutting out from the water. He began to put two and two together given that he could not hear the sound that Rose obviously could.

"She's being hypnotized somehow ... " he whispered, surprised.

"Just keep firing!" Beth shouted, taking out two zombies that reached for Rose, "There's a few left out there! Take 'em out!"

O

The group rushed toward Rose and swarmed around her. Wesker grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a swift shake. "Rose! What is wrong with you!" he spat, "Do you have some kind of a death wish, woman?"

Rose mumbled softly, not even listening to him. She was grinning drunkenly, her eyes rolled up into her head. "Don't be afraid ... "

"Rose, we don't have time for this shit right now. Pull yourself together!" Krauser barked, glancing around the grass nervously for any signs of the undead.

Wesker glared down at Rose and drew his hand back. He brought it back to her face in a wicked backhand slap that reverberated through the air. She jolted roughly in his arms and spat a bit of blood off to the side from her busted lip that resulted due to the force of Wesker's slap.

"Christ, you didn't have to hit her that hard!" Beth shouted, enraged.

Wesker ignored her and watched as Rose seemed to regain her senses from his blow.

"Ouch! Goddamn it!" she spat, back to her normal self; she glared angrily up at Wesker, "What the FUCK did you do that for?" Rose looked at the others, who stared back at her with worry and surprise. "What are you all looking at?"

"Dude, don't fuck with us, man!" a BSAA soldier hissed, pointing at her.

Rose furrowed her brow, wrenching from Wesker and rubbing her sore cheek. "What the hell are you dip shits going on about this time?" she demanded, "And what am I doing out here?" She focused attention on Wesker now. "And most importantly, why did you hit me?"

Wesker looked somewhat bemused. "You don't remember walking out here?" he demanded, "Something was here inside this lake! You spoke to us and you acted as if you were being hypnotized by it!"

"No ... " Rose protested, fuming still over her cheek.

"Uh ... W - Wesker ... "

He turned at the frightened sound of Jonas' voice."What is it now?" he demanded, furiously.

The water of the lake had started bubbling wildly as if it were heating up to a great extreme. Everyone backed away from the water as a shape suddenly shot up from the lake, towering over them and blotting out the very light of the moon. All faces that gazed up at the thing before them were slack - jawed and wide - eyed in horror. Wesker was the exception to this. He simply looked on, amazed.

Lightning slashed through the sky as the creature threw back its head and roared. The roar was horrible; it resembled the eerie pitch of a human - like scream. It was a mutation of injections, that was certain, but nothing that they had seen so far. Its forelegs arched out of its back like spiders legs, its back legs were set on enormous haunches, thick and powerful. The arms of the creature were almost human-like at the hands save for long, sword - like claws. Its head was long and appeared to be eyeless in the shadows but when the lightning lit the sky, it was easy to tell that they were a dull yellow. Along its bony - white back were expansive, throbbing red veins, coming out of the skin and running like thick black hairs to the back which were actually enormous pincer - like talons.

It has retracted pincers at the side of head that come out when its tongue did. It was very big, but smaller than Minerva's mutation had been. It was bone white and when it looked down at them, the left half of its face was almost a human - like skull with patches of hair covering that half of its head.

And it looked ready to kill them all.

"Holy shit!" Krauser gasped, "What the fuck is that?"

Dripping from the rain and algae, the creature leaned down and bared its sharp teeth in a wicked hissing sound. Everyone stared back at the empty pools of yellow warily, unsure of what to do with the limited ammunition that they had.

"What do we do?" Mischa stammered.

"Running would be a good idea." Mikhail answered.

And they did just that as the monster pounced with a roar. Fortunately the team darted off just in time, moving for their vehicles to make their escape. Much to their relief, the lumbering beast was quite slow and clumsy in its approach and it gave them just enough time to gather into their proper vehicles and drive away, with the howling revenant barreling after them on all fours.

"Shit, Rose!" Beth shouted, glaring at her friend as Krauser struggled to keep as far from the creature as he could, "What happened out there?"

"Not now!" Rose shouted back, from the back of the RV. She was readying two TMP rifles. To her dismay, there were a few mags left in the box at her feet. "Goddamn it ... " she whispered, frustrated. She noticed that they were coming up to a small township ahead and glared desperately back at Krauser. "Hey! Can't you go any faster?"

He shot her a glare right back. "Wanna get out and push?"

As the convoy came turning around at a corner of the streets, the monster suddenly burst from a grocery building in front of them, raining rubble down upon the roofs of the vehicles and nearly causing them to crash into one another. Krauser noticed a very narrow alley up ahead of them and led the convoy through this slim alley between two large brick buildings. They drove for their lives as the creature appeared behind them. Its claws were too big to reach into the alley so it bulldozed its way into it, the building ripping apart as it marched forward.

"Shit! This fucker won't give up!" Jonas cried, glancing over his shoulder.

Bricks went flying and debris showered down on the team just as they barely made their way to the other side. The monster gave a loud, frustrated shriek and swung its arms violently to clear a path.

"Well, neither will we!" Wesker said, determined to get out with their lives.

Rose watched the rampaging creature curiously for a brief second as Krauser turned the RV, squealing around the next corner. Power sliding around the wet street corner, the vehicles fishtailed onto the next street; whipping around the corner behind them, the creature continued its pursuit. Rose observed its steps, its motions and came to a completely insane and radical conclusion:

It wasn't trying to kill them.

O

"Stop the RV."

Krauser and the others stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "ARE YOU INSANE?" Krauser spat, staring up at her, wide eyed. He shook his head rapidly and beat on the steering wheel. "I ain't stopping now!"

"Krauser, just do it," Rose insisted, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Radio the others to do the same."

"No! No fucking way!" Krauser shouted.

"I SAID STOP THE FUCKING CAR!" Rose practically screamed.

It was a loud and surprising enough command to cause Krauser to slam onto the brakes upon reflex. The RV squealed to a halt, sliding somewhat in the rain and it temporarily disoriented the monster; it looked around to the various stopping vehicles, seemingly confused by the fact that its prey no longer tried to escape. It moved up to the convoy, wide nostrils fluttering in deep, heavy inhales.

Rose quickly rushed out into the rain and the others watched her with shock.

"There she goes again!" Beth groaned, following behind her, "Rose! Rose, are you crazy, girl?"

Rose pointed up at the monster with one hand and Beth reluctantly followed her gesture. The monster, much to her amazement, was no longer moving from its spot. Instead, it was standing there with a deep collection of rumbles reverberating from its giant, bull - like throat. It swayed gently from side to side, observing Rose with an almost human - like sense of contemplation. She took a few steps forward.

"It's me you want, isn't it?" she called, up to the creature, "Go on then, take me!"

The creature gave a loud, thunderous roar and Rose grimaced at the sound before she began to take a few steps back, drawing the creature away from the others so that she could think of a way to take it out. The others were watching her with expressions of pure alarm and amazement, unable to move and yet, unable to resist the urge to carefully ready their weapons should she need assistance.

Rose caught the motions and she discreetly waved one finger at them from the side. They stared back at her, confused as to why she didn't want them attacking. Rose watched Chris whisper something to Wesker and the man chuckled quietly. She had only to guess that Chris was doubting her sanity and Wesker inadvertently agreeing with him to a point. Oh well, let them think that she was insane. She didn't care right now.

"Come on and get me!" Rose challenged, her voice loud and intimidating, "They're nothing! It's me you want! Come on!"

The creature seemed to possess a keen sort of human awareness because it looked back to the others, just as Wesker dove in to fight with a bellowing shout. He raced along its back and grasped the spiked hairs that lined its jutting spinal column. The thing reared back and shrieked in fury, thrashing its head back and forth to reach the man clinging to it. It swung its heavy claws through the air, striking Rose's form and sending her tumbling with a sharp grunt of pain. Wesker held on for all his worth; it had a weakness and he was going to be damned if he let it take him out.

"Steady there, girl ... " he hissed, "This will only hurt for two seconds."

Suddenly, the head of the creature turned a full 180 degrees, bones popping and tendons twisting until it looked directly at him. Wesker's eyes snapped wide behind his glasses in mute disbelief. That was completely unexpected and nothing that he had been waiting for. It snarled at him and swung its muzzle into his face, sending the man falling to the ground, hard. A single hair-like barb stabbed deep into his back and he shouted out with pain.

The others soon rushed into the fray with what little ammunition and weapons that they had. Ivan rushed along the back of the beast and sank his Bowie knife deep into its tough, clammy hide. Mikhail shoved his blade right underneath its chin, slicing through the flesh there and ripping tendons wide open. The great beast roared and tossed the two Russians from its body with a mighty swing of its head. It turned to Wesker and dove at him before he could recover; he swung both of his legs up, trapping its lower jaws and grabbing the gigantic teeth with his two hands, snarling and grunting with eyes widened as a slender, tube - like tongue lashed out and plunged directly into his leg.

Rose had never heard such a terrible sound in her entire life and neither had the others; the sound of Wesker's warped, shriek of agony. She jumped to her feet and rushed for the monster's back. She raced up the length of its spine and slammed her fist into it with a fierce yell of effort.

The creature screamed in blood - curdling agony and it seemed to squeeze its eyes shut in a human-like grimace. It bent its entire spine backwards, landing on both hands until it faced Rose completely. It was horrible; every movement, every gesture that this ... thing made was an expression of pain and suffering. Rose backed away a few paces at the monster leered down at her, bringing its muzzle so close that she could smell the decay and the rotten scent of flesh from its mouth. Glancing up at the corner of her eyes, Rose noticed that it was watching her with an angry, almost human scowl.

"Shit ... " she heard Jonas whisper, "What's it doing? What's it doing?"

Rose backed up some more and it clicked its massive jowls at her once. She remained in place, frowning up at the monster in confusion. What _was_ it doing? It brought its massive nostrils close and took a heavy inhale. The sound practically reverberated throughout her eardrums. Rose was stunned to watch as its scowl relaxed entirely and for the very first time, she could see a partial human expression of the creature's face; pain.

Rose blinked once to see if she was imagining things before she glanced over to the side and noticed that Jonas was coiled up tightly in the creature's tail. She glared up at the monster and tried something; something completely insane.

"Put him down," she ordered.

The monster glanced back and the grip that it had on Jonas' body loosened, allowing for him to fall to the ground with a sharp grunt. Everyone watched the scene with shock and amazement. They were too stunned to really act anymore. Now there was only this moment between man and monster. Rose continued to stare into its eyes, her body trembling and the world seemed to have stopped just to this specific point in time.

A soft, trilling moan escaped the creature's jaws; it was a heart - wrenching experience for Rose to endure such a sound. As it stared down at her, she suddenly understood. The "surprise" that that strange man had told her about...the fact that she had been drawn to it in some bizarre way, hypnotized as Wesker had put it.

Her thoughts were interrupted as it opened its mouth and spoke. _"R ... Rooooosseee ... "_

She forced the hot lump that had formed in her throat down. She had to be strong this time. There were no room for tears now, no room for weakness. She had to be strong ... She had to, no matter what.

Rose reached up with two hands and she began to stroke the creature's muzzle lovingly. Its tongue slithered out from its jaws and caressed her cheek, her hair and her neck, sticky strands of saliva drenching her. Wesker grimaced with disgust at the gesture whereas Beth and Jonas glanced quickly at one another. No one spoke or tried to stop it. Rose behaved as if she were being 'hypnotized' once more.

The monster made soft, sorrowful moans and Rose smiled gently at it. "I'm here ... I'm here ... " she whispered, rubbing her cheek back and forth against the side of its face, "So long ... So long ... "

_"Rooooossssee ... Pl ... eaaaasse ... Nooooo ... hurt ... Not ... " _

Rose smiled sorrowfully. She knew what it wanted. "Yes ... you've ... you've seen too much, endured too much ... " she whispered, tears threatening to pour from her eyes, "I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry ... "

It hissed at her before she looked up into its dull gaze. The slit pupils seemed to expand into a perfect human circle and hot tears streamed down the monster's eyes before the lids slowly closed. Rose drew back her fist and gnawing her lower lip, drove it deep into the monster's skull. The action drew a chorus of cries and gasps of alarm from the others. Wesker leaned his head forward in amazement, his eyes widened.

Blood gushed from the monster's skull from the shattered spot where it had suffered the brain trauma. It threw its head back with a roar of agony and slowly crumpled to earth. Everyone had been rocked from the impact of the toppled creature. It lay there in a heap, last breath escaping, its eyes blinking slowly as Rose watched the last life of the creature slipping away with each shallow breath.

The mud and rushing water at Rose's feet ran red with blood and chunks of brain matter. She stared down at it for a long time as it formed a wicked pool of crimson death at her feet. She slowly looked back up at the creature and finally, she walked over to it and knelt down, resting her head against its monstrous stomach. Blood had begun to flow through her jacket, but she didn't care. She stayed with the dying beast for its final heaving breaths.

She felt that she had to.

O

_Note_-I love Die Hard With a Vengeance. Bruce Willis is da shit. You'll see why Rose felt so much for the creature in my next chapter. That is, if you haven't already guessed. LOL.


	47. Chapter 47: Against All Hope

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Seven: Against All Hope**

_Denton, Texas_

_There's something cold and blank behind her smile  
She's standing on an overpass  
In her miracle mile _

_[coma:]_

_"You were from a perfect world  
A world that threw me away today  
Today to run away"_

_A pill to make you numb_  
_A pill to make you dumb_  
_A pill to make you anybody else_  
_But all the drugs in this world_  
_Won't save her from herself_

Rose did whatever it took to take her mind off of the past several hours; she counted bullets in their stash, studied can labels for a few hours and even counted the threads in the carpeting on board the RV. It was a bit difficult for the convoy to procure enough ammunition and weapons to go around. With luck slowly falling away from them, every weapon shop that they stopped at had been nearly bled dry. Well, the stop in town gave her a chance to get her clothes properly washed and some food in her stomach.

While she was preparing to step outside, she could make out conversations going on between Chris, Jill and Claire. She arched a brow and froze in place, listening to what was being said.

The convoy had stopped behind a local shopping outlet mall where there were rows of trees and the interstate in between them. Within her vision, Rose spotted Ivan filling up his gas tank, Mikhail taking a leak in the wind behind his car, Mischa drinking some coffee and Leon yelling at Krauser about something regarding weapons. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed after what she had done those past couple of hours ago.

" ... Does it really matter now? We're still alive after all of that, Wesker hasn't done anything wrong, Rose saved our lives and we can all get back to work." Rose recognized that it was Claire speaking.

Chris opened his mouth to argue with her, but he received a sharp elbow to the ribs from Jill. He frowned at her for an explanation and she flicked her head discreetly in Rose's direction as the woman stepped out from the RV. Rose smiled as if there was nothing wrong in the slightest.

"Hi. What ... uh ... What's everyone talking about?" she asked.

Chris opened his mouth to talk and he shut his eyes when she jumped up onto the hood of his car to study the map that he had laid out in front of him. "Get down off of my car, please. And get up on the sidewalk." he snapped, gesturing with one hand. He watched her smirk and shrug one shoulder as she hopped down from the car and onto the side of the street. "We're trying to decide the quickest route to Raccoon City. We need refueling and there isn't much here to go around."

"Okay, well I'll see what I can do about my clothes, then," Rose told him, turning, "Where's Beth and Jonas hiding?"

Chris gestured toward the opposite direction where Beth and Jonas were departing from the back door of a store. They seemed to have been yelling at one another until they saw her walking up to them. Jonas was carrying something in a bag and Beth was holding two loaves of bread.

"Rose!" she greeted, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," Rose replied, "Look, I desperately need to wash my clothes. Tell Thumbelina back there that I just need a half of an hour, okay?"

Rose disappeared into the store and Chris called after her angrily. "I heard that!"

"Good!" Rose hollered back.

When the night began to fall in, the convoy spent their time centered themselves safely in between their vehicles, surrounding one another in the warm glow of a campfire. Chris was going over his game plan with them while they ate from bowls of pork and beans. Wesker looked somewhat displeased by the choice of food and ignored Chris' conversation with the others.

"Is this all that there is to eat?" he groused.

Beth tugged on his jacket with one arm. "Take a seat, Al," she teased, "Chill those boots for a while."

Wesker murmured skeptically and rolled his eyes at her. He glanced over to the side and noticed that Rose was walking up to them with a bottle of what he suspected was wine. "Rose? Where did you find that?" he asked.

She smiled at him and flashed the bottle at everyone. "You guys won't believe this, but there's a booze shop a few blocks down!" she announced.

Beth clapped both hands. "Alright! It's going to be _that _kind of party!"

Wesker took the bottle from Rose's hand and frowned at her. "Rose, we could use this as a weapon," he told her, "A Molotov or something. Getting drunk at a time like this isn't the best - - "

Rose snatched the bottle right back. "Give it a rest," she chided, "I think that we all could use some kind of relief, am I right?" She looked at the others and they nodded in agreement. She gave Wesker a smug smile. "There, you see? Maybe you could relax as well."

He tittered and shook his head. Whatever reason Rose had to feel or do what she was doing now ... " Rose, this is not the proper time for your ridiculous behavior," he snapped.

Rose took a spot beside Beth and she popped the cork off with ease. She completely ignored Wesker. "Okay, who's thirsty?"

After a few words and drinks were shared, everyone had started opening up to one another a little more. Rose was happy and relieved to see this. There was no tension, no bitter rivalries and no strain on who was the enemy and who was not. She was also glad to have found the wine because she knew that this was what the team needed: a chance to loosen up before the confrontation in Raccoon City. Rose wanted everyone to be on good terms before something was to happen.

Ivan had started showing off for Claire. He began to take apart his semi - automatic rifle with rapid and uncanny skill. She watched with a grin and Leon observed with a set scowl on his face. After Ivan was done, he smirked to himself.

"Ta - da!" he announced, with a very goofy grin on his face. He handed the weapon to Claire. "Go ahead, try it, yes?"

Claire giggled softly and took the weapon into her hands, playing along with the game. "Okay." she said. She squeezed the trigger and aimed the barrel into the air; a few shells popped loudly skyward. Claire looked amazed and she grinned at Ivan. "That's ... That's amazing!" she exclaimed. "How the hell'd you do that?"

Ivan chuckled and shrugged one shoulder as if it were no big deal. "I learn in Soviet Army," he told her. Leon scoffed at the mention of the former Communist army and the Russian glared at him. "Is there problem with where I come from?"

"No," Leon replied, sarcastically, "I just think that it's funny you're trying to hit on Claire with stories about a two - bit country with a poor Communist history. Never mind the fact that the United States sent their sorry asses packing down the world power ladder."

Every Russian sitting at the fire with them abruptly jerked their heads up in shock and anger at the jibe. Claire glared at Leon. "Leon!" she whispered, her voice rigid, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ivan simply laughed angrily at the nasty jeer from the Government agent. "You know nothing!" he spat, "You never live in those times!"

Rose interjected before the happy moment could end poorly. "Wow! This is good wine, huh, guys?" she asked, looking around at them.

Everyone seemed to relax and nod in grudging agreement. All but Ivan. He continued to glare at Leon darkly. The Agent glared right back and the two spent a few good minutes of staring each other down before Ivan tsked and shook his head with mock pity.

"Вы не оцениваете ее достаточно ... " he murmured, returning his gaze to the fire.

Mikhail's eyes flicked upwards in surprise at the words from his leader.

Jonas laughed softly. "You know, this kind of takes me back to my camping days," he said, "I mean, good old times that were well spent with my old man, mom was off doing whatever she felt like doing, so it was just the two of us ... "

The others stared at him curiously. "So ... what happened to your papa?" Mischa asked.

Jonas leaned back and took a sharp intake of breath, trying to play the tough-guy card about the fact that he had lost his father a long time ago. "Well, dad died of lung cancer a few years back. My mom suddenly went from looney bird to super caring parent figure after that. It turned out okay, I guess." He chuckled softly and there was a bare hint of bitterness there behind it. "Took her long enough, but ... well ... better late than never."

Everyone nodded awkwardly at the laugh that he made. Beth took the wine bottle and poured Jonas some more into a thermos. "Here ya' go," she told him, smiling with pity.

Jonas smiled sadly back before he glanced up at Krauser. "What about you, big guy?" he asked, "You got any stories of parents or stuff to tell us?"

Krauser's eyes wandered to each and every face that silently whispered 'come on' to him and he just chuckled, placing his wine cup down. "Jesus, nothing like yours, Joe," he remarked, "I had both my folks, sure, but when I was a kid, I didn't have these guns you see here," He gestured to his muscles, earning a few laughs from the others, "I wasn't as big as bean man over there," He pointed to Ivan. "Hell, this one time, when I was 8 years old, four kids beat me up and I went crying to my daddy." Krauser paused for dramatic emphasis. "You know what he did?"

Beth shrugged her shoulders. "I'm guessing he fixed your bully issue?" she guessed, as if it wasn't even rocket science.

Krauser scoffed and smirked at her. "No, he kicked my ass left to right," he answered, "You know why?"

"He tried to teach you not to cry and be a man?" Jonas guessed.

Krauser laughed softly. "No," he replied, "It's because he was a mean ass, chrome dome, sick drunk son of a bitch. When he wasn't busting my ass, he was putting cigarettes out on my neck." He gave Leon a sarcastic grimace as the man stared at him in surprise. "Heh, bet ya' never knew about that ol' chestnut, didn't ya'', Leon? The big guy gets a daily dose of child abuse growing up."

"Damn ... that sucks, man ... " Jonas murmured. He was silent for a moment before he gave Krauser a great big hug.

Krauser recoiled angrily. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, indignant.

"What your dad should have done!" Jonas told him.

Krauser growled and slammed his fist down on Jonas' head, drawing a cry of pain from the smaller man. While Jonas rubbed his tender scalp, Krauser glowered down at him. "Touch me again and I'll beat ya' to a pulp!" he threatened.

Everyone laughed softly at this before Rose looked at Chris and Claire. "How 'bout you two?" she asked them, "What were your parents like?"

Claire and Chris glanced at each other for a moment, unsure of how to answer that. Chris tried and spoke while Claire wavered at that somewhat. It had always been a touchy subject between the siblings, yet Rose didn't know that.

"Both of us were originally from New York City," Chris started to explain, "When we were kids, we lost both our parents in a car crash, so we both made it our place to look out for one another growing up. It was hard too. I went through so many jobs trying to support my little sister," - - Claire groaned good naturedly at that - - "and eventually it all worked out in the end. But I guess ... " He cut himself off and Rose could tell that he was going through his head for the right choice of words. He added then, softly and cautiously. "I guess it's better than having a false father figure."

Wesker snarled at him and Jonas and Beth suddenly shot up from their spots. "Hey! Get the hell off her back, okay?" Jonas barked, "She's had her share of tough times too, ya' know! Christ, one of her best friends was killed!"

"Yeah!" Beth agreed, "Where the hell do you get off?"

Rose held up one hand. She was oddly calm about all of this. "Guys, just cool it okay," she replied. When they slowly sank to their spots once more in protest, she continued. "It's not Chris' fault that he's so ignorant of the truth. Half of my life was written by the guys who puppeteered it anyway. I don't expect him to understand." Her voice seemed to grow angrier and angrier and her eyes narrowed with the irises slowly starting to glow. "I don't expect him to understand anything."

There was a cold iciness in her voice that could have chilled the very fire in front of them. Chris wavered somewhat at the intimidating tone of voice before he spoke. He sounded somewhat gentler this time.

"That ... uh ... That may have been a bit out of line ... " he told her, quietly, "But you have no idea what my sister, Leon, Jill and everyone here has been through. We've seen the worst of it all and our friends had lost their lives to," He gave Wesker a dirty look, "The viruses."

Rose knew exactly what he was talking about because she had caught that look that he had made to Wesker. "It's been over ten years, Chris. Some people change, you know," she told him.

Chris shrugged his shoulders. Who he was referring to specifically in his next words was slightly more vague. "Most people don't." he answered. He kept his gaze locked with hers before taking a drink of his cup.

The conversations around the fire began to ease up as everyone relaxed and laughed with one another. Beth had started up on a story about Jonas that immediately got everyone giggling, as if they knew what she was going to say. Rose was returning to the fire after retrieving more liquor and she rolled her eyes with an amused smile on her face at the story that Beth was in the middle of telling.

"Ahh, Jesus. Are you telling the Batman rosebush story?" she asked, handing a bottle to Beth.

Beth grinned and nodded up at her once before she returned her gaze to the others and continued with her story. "Well, that day, we were having a barbecue outside Rose's house and well, Jonas had one to many Captain Morgan's and he got plenty drunk enough, so I dared him to dress up in his old Halloween batman costume - - the one from Dark Knight - - and climb up onto the roof. Well, much to Rose's protest, he did it!" She laughed loudly and elbowed a good - humored Jonas. "Remember when you jumped off the roof and we had to send you to the hospital?"

Rose rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Beth, that was all your fault, you know!" she told her, "You screamed 'the house is on fire' and Jonas jumped."

"Well, he only came out of it with a broken wrist because of the rosebushes breaking most of the fall!" Beth replied. She laughed with the others as they started in. "Man, I wish we still had that tape!"

"Yeah, and thorns in my ass." Jonas murmured, smirking.

Rose shook her head with false pity before she patted Beth on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm heading inside. I want to catch up on some much needed rest."

Chris glanced at everyone. "Alright," he said, standing up, "Who's sober enough to be the watchman for the night?" There was a long pause followed by unsure murmurs from the rest of the convoy. "Come on! Just a few of you!"

Claire laughed and stood up. "I'll do it!" she answered.

Ivan immediately and almost too eagerly rose with her. "Me too!"

Leon rolled his eyes with disinterest at the scene. Ivan smirked down at him and gave Leon a rough pat on his head. "Aww, smart - alack American cannot handle his liquor?" he jeered, laughing before he and Claire walked away to ascend to the rooftops with their weapons in hand. He grinned down at her. "Come, I tell you stories about time Mikhail walk into lady powder room!"

"It was not deliberate!" Mikhail called after them.

Rose watched as everyone else remained there and she glanced down at Krauser. "Are you going to be alright out here?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he replied, "I think we're gonna crash out here. Hell, I'm too fucked up to make it to the RV anyway." He glanced up at Leon, who stared back. There was a hidden vengeance about the way that they stared at each other. His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Maybe Leon and I can use this time to catch up. What do you think about that, Special Agent man?"

Rose exhaled and patted his shoulder. "Okay, but can you try not to kill each other?" she suggested, "I'll bring out some blankets."

"No promises!" Krauser called, over his shoulder.

Upon Rose's departure, Jonas and Beth glanced back and forth between the two men before Beth spoke. "Okay, so what's the story between you two?" she asked, "Did Blondie here make off with a lady friend of yours or something?"

Krauser laughed scornfully. "Right, like Leon could KEEP a girl for more than a year!"

Leon's eyes narrowed. "You're no prince charming yourself."

"Are you talking about Manuela?" Krauser spat venomously, "I'm so glad that you brought that up for everyone to listen to! Because of you, she was caught up in a government laboratory for two stinking years!"

"I couldn't stop that!"

"Your title could have done SOMETHING!"

"Your infatuation with her could have gotten her killed anyway; not only that, the entire mission would have been in jeopardy! I was just stepping in before you did something really stupid!"

"YOU'D KNOW A HELL OF A LOT ABOUT STUPID, WOULDN'T YA'?"

Krauser suddenly glared down at Jonas who had slowly started smiling during the entire exchange. "You're about two seconds away from wearing that smile around your ass!" he warned.

Jonas laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Kiss me first."

Their conversation faded out as Rose walked further to the back of the RV, only to find Wesker sitting on the bed with his shirt and jacket removed. He was making an attempt to grasp something behind him. Rose frowned and glanced down at a few bloody bandages and tools.

"Jesus, what the hell happened?" she demanded, walking over to him.

Wesker grunted sharply in pain. "The fight with that creature ... " he hissed, sucking in another sharp breath of pain. "It left a rather ... nasty present for me." He placed a set of pliers down while Rose walked so that she could see his back.

"Goddamn ... this look pretty nasty," she whispered, staring at a black and blue patch of flesh that was gushing blood. In the middle of the discoloration was a big of black that stuck out faintly from his flesh. "The barb prevented regeneration, I'm going to have to get that out."

Wesker exhaled impatiently as she took the pliers into her hand. "Alright," he replied.

Rose reached in as far as she could go, grasping the ends of the tattered barb that had barely stuck out from his back, "Okay, this might pinch a little," she told him, "I'll have it out quickly."

"Just do it."

"Alright, alright. Chill."

Wesker gripped both ends of the bed and leaned forward, preparing for the immediate pain. Rose waited for a few moments before she yanked the barb out in one clean tug and it was free. Wesker made no sound save for a sharp grunt of pain through his clenched teeth. Rose deposited the barb into a tray that Wesker had prepared. She touched the wound with two gentle fingertips and made a sound between her teeth.

"It's out, but your body will need some time to recover," she told him, "The creature must have had some defense mechanism built into the barbs to stop a body's natural healing process." She stood up and he did the same. "Wait ... I'll still have to disinfect it to be sure."

Wesker sighed heavily as Rose picked up a bottle of first aid spray. "Rose that isn't necessary," he told her, "I'm going to be perfectly fi - AAAHHH!" He recoiled and his back arched as she sprayed the powerful healing spray onto his back. Even for a being like him, it still stung like hell.

"There, all better. Okay, your regeneration should be able to take care of the rest." Rose replied, not fazed from the outburst.

Wesker stretched his muscles, flexed his arms a few times before he turned to face her. "Thank you," he said, professionally.

"You're welcome."

Wesker leaned his head back and walked into the kitchen to grab himself a glass of water. Rose followed behind him. "So, are you going to finally tell me what happened with that creature?" he asked. "You spoke to it as if it were your mother. I am certain that wasn't it, Rose. She couldn't have survived given the strain that the experiments caused to her brain and her body."

Rose didn't answer.

Wesker had brought the cup of water to his lips, but he stopped and studied her expression. His brow knotted and he placed the glass down onto the counter top before he spoke. "It was your mother."

Rose waited for a long time before she nodded.

Wesker looked thoughtful for a brief second, bringing his finger to the edges of his lips before he continued. "You ... You took your mother's life ... to save ... to save them?" He gestured outside through the windshield, where Chris and Claire were just walking by. "Them ... Those people ... The very ones who couldn't care less if you lived or died ... The very ones who mocked you ... ridiculed you ... "

"Yes ... "

Wesker frowned at her, genuinely confused and amazed. "Why?"

Rose tried to find the right words to explain herself. She didn't want him to think that she felt nothing for taking the life of a creature that had vaguely remembered her before she took its life. Truthfully, she felt nothing but disgust for herself and for what she had done. But there was that small part of her that also felt happy. Her mother had suffered so much for her sake and now ... now she could finally rest in peace.

"I ... I don't know." she lied.

"Liar." Wesker countered.

Rose tried her words again. She spoke with numbness in her voice. "My mother ... she gave so much for me, Wesker," she told him, "She went though torture, experiments and abuse just so I could be safe from harm. I cannot say that I am proud for what I did, but I can safely say that I have repaid my debt to her. I took her life to end that pain and suffering. She died the happiest that she had ever been in her last years. And in saving Chris and the others ... Well, I had to do that."

Wesker stared at her and for the first time in his life, he had no answer for that.

"Look, I really don't like Chris," Rose continued, "That is for damn certain. He's got the attitude of a 7th grader and quite frankly, I don't like how he smells," Wesker let out a bark of laughter at that, "But you know what? If I _did_ lash out at him the way you have, it will only confirm every suspicion he's ever had of me. And you know what, he's not getting that kind of satisfaction."

Wesker nodded with respect. He had to respect Rose for that. "I understand."

Rose opened her mouth in a full yawn and stretched her arms back. "Well, I'm hitting the hay," she told him, "Don't wait up for me."

Wesker watched as she climbed into the bed before he glanced back outside where Chris was. He suddenly had an idea that would get the Redfield man off of his ass and Rose's for a while.

After everyone was sound asleep, Chris and Wesker took it upon themselves to meet in the night highway where the moon was the brightest. They faced off from one another like two cowboys ready for a draw.

"I guess I don't think that you're a coward after all," Chris called to him, "At least not for showing up."

Wesker tittered mockingly. "If I want to know what's on your mind, I'll splatter it on the wall and see for myself!" he hissed, threateningly. He paused for a brief moment and then he smiled contemptuously. "So it has finally come to this ... A rematch from our feud in Kijuju." His voice pricked up slightly with mocking. " There's not much left of you I haven't beaten, is there?"

"What is your agenda, Wesker?" Chris demanded, "What do you want with Rose? Why is she the same as you are?"

Wesker began to pace back and forth. "Why does that matter to you?" he sneered, "The BSAA will make every attempt to destroy us both, won't they?"

Ivan spotted the two men from his perch. He chuckled and shook his head with pity. "Ah, Albert will do anything to beat up people, yes?" He noticed that Claire was not responding and he glanced over his shoulder to find her sound asleep with his jacket wrapped around her. He smiled tenderly and walked over to her, scooping her up into his arms with ease. "Ahhh, sleep time for you, my dear ... "

Ivan jumped down from the rooftops with ease and carried Claire to her designated vehicle. Leon was standing there, his arms folded across his chest as he watched Ivan place Claire gently into the car.

"You know she just feels sorry for you, right?" he sneered.

Ivan ignored him. He tucked Claire with his jacket and smiled at her, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes before he straightened up to face Leon. "Is not proper to assume the thoughts of woman before she speaks," he said, lowly.

Leon scoffed and rolled his eyes, fingering with the barrel of his handgun. "Between you and me, Claire's not into your type of guy!" he snapped, "She's killed guys that look better looking than you and tried to kill her in the process!"

Ivan laughed softly. "She doesn't come off as shallow," he replied, "I think American man not know good thing he has."

Claire's eyes slowly opened and she could make out the verbal exchange between the two men. She noticed that Leon was getting very livid about something and that Ivan was maintaining a perfect calm.

Leon suddenly faced him and Ivan could smell the foul stench of his liquor on his breath. Ah, he was a little tipsy from the beer that he had drank not too long ago. "You're just barking up the wrong tree here, pal!" he hissed, "Claire's not going to fall in love with a freak like you!" He laughed cruelly. "I - I have no idea what that crazy lady of a wife of yours ever saw in yo - - "

Ivan suddenly grabbed the front of Leon's jacket and yanked him so close that they were nearly nose to nose. Leon gave a cry and his legs kicked nothing but air beneath him. When he spoke his next words, they were soft and chilling, "That's _enough_ out of you. Speak ill of my wife again and you will know what it feels like to have insides on the outside."

Claire watched the two men part ways and she suddenly felt very sick.

Meanwhile, Chris and Wesker had started on a physical fight right on the highway. Chris had started forward, making the first move with both of his fists up. Much to his surprise and maybe even suspicion, Wesker seemed to hesitate at first, taking a small step back. Chris advanced on him further, until he was within range and taking a swing at the man. Wesker grabbed his wrist in one hand and used his other fist to punch Chris in the cheek.

Chris recoiled and he barely had enough time to dodge and so he took the blow, stumbling to the cold ground. He looked up as Wesker grabbed him by the front of his jacket and kicked his left leg out, connecting it to Chris' ribs.

"You don't know anything, that is the problem!" Wesker hissed, poisonously.

Chris grabbed Wesker's arm and slammed him in the ribs now. "Yeah? And what the hell do YOU know about it?" he spat, "You're using her just like you've used everyone else! Excella, Irving, Jill ... "

Wesker barely dodge the blow to his ribs, and threw out his arm to parry Chris's second punch. "Ask Rose!" he hissed, "She will tell you that she works with me of her own choice! Do you want to know why?"

Chris struck Wesker dead in the chest, only to have his arm immediately seized in one tight, bone-breaking clutch. Chris grimaced in pain and glared up at Wesker with hatred. "Why?" he hissed.

Wesker leaned forward and hissed his next words in Chris' ear. "She carries my child."

Chris' eyes snapped wide in absolute horror and he lost his will to speak for a while. Wesker laughed cruelly and dropped Chris to the ground with a hard thud. "Yes, and that monster that we faced?" he continued, "That was her mother. She killed that very same creature to save your pitiful hide! Why? I still cannot understand it. So the next time that you question Rose's integrity, I think that you should reconsider."

He walked away in a huff, leaving a very shocked Chris there to think about his words alone and in the darkness.

O

_Note_-Just a little snippet of Marilyn Manson's "Coma White". Just so everyone knows, I have no problem at all with Russians. I just pegged Leon to be one of those 'America is da shit above the rest' assholes. I find that every country has something wonderful to share with the world. I mean, look at our history for example. Look at what countries all over the world had given us at some point. Knowledge. Nowadays, if only it were that easy to just be at peace.

1. _Вы не оцениваете ее достаточно_...- "You don't appreciate her enough..."


	48. Chapter 48: R'lyeh

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Eight: ****R'lyeh**

_Raccoon City, Colorado_

"'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ... I shall fear no evil ... for Thou art with me ... Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ... ' because I carry a big ass stick ... and I'm the meanest motherfucker in the goddamn valley. Three big ass monster clowns down, Lord. One bitch to go. Can I get an 'amen'?"

Everyone stared at Beth skeptically after she finished her prayer.

"You had me at 'meanest motherfucker in the valley' ... " Claire murmured, unable to resist the smile on her face regardless.

They were standing over a cliff side that overlooked the once lively city of Raccoon. Now all that it was was a desolate ruin of tipping buildings, shattered windows and broken streets. Plants had started growing through the cracks of the pavement and vines were wrapped around light posts, benches and various other fixtures.

"Son of a bitch ... "

Everyone immediately turned their attention to Chris's direction; he was looking out to the city through a pair of binoculars.

"What is it?" Claire asked.

Chris handed her the binoculars. "Check it out for yourself."

Claire gave him a look before she brought the lenses up to her eyes. Much to her shock, she saw exactly what had caused Chris' distress. There were hundreds - - no literally thousands - - of zombies that crowded through the streets of the city. They bumped lifelessly into one another and stumbled over things that happened to be in their way. Claire slowly lowered the binoculars and her eyes were wide in shock.

"Holy shit ... " she whispered.

After a moment of passing the lenses around for everyone to see, Rose began to notice that everyone slowly came down from their 'high' after seeing what Chris had seen. They were starting to notice that this would become an impossible endeavor. There was no way that they were going to turn back now, not after the things that they had been through together. She and her friends had crossed half of the country to find this guy, risked everything that they had and seen so much death and pain. She wasn't about to let them give up already, not while they were standing here.

"All right, boys and girls," she announced, starting to pace back and forth, "This guy is trying to break our spirit. He thinks that we're going to take one look at that mess and say 'fuck this shit'. We could go ahead and do that. We could turn around, go back the way that we came and spend the rest of our days playing puppet to this son of a bitch. You know what? Who gives a shit? We've fought too hard to get to where we are. We have kids to look after, people to fight for and those numbers are going to keep on dwindling until we have nothing left. We can handle it."

She stopped in her pacing and smiled slyly. "But let me say this: That old man surrounding himself in thousands of zombies tells me something. The guy is scared. Scared of you crazy, gun - wielding maniacs!" She chuckled at a few smiles and nods of agreement from them. "And you know what? He should be. Because I got news for you guys. We're gonna win this thing and we're going to fight until we have no more fight left in us."

Krauser nodded his head once. It seemed to her that he was more than willing to fight to the death. Hell, he lived for this kind of shit. "Hell, I'm game!" he said, "I spent almost a whole month with you shitheads, that's been hell enough. This will be a cakewalk."

There was a chorus of laughter from the others.

"Yeah, love you too, man." Jonas remarked.

Wesker peered his sharp eyes into the distance to an old, derelict building that towered high over the rest; it bore a scratched, cracked Umbrella logo over the rooftops. He knew that was where their enemy was hiding. It was the very center of Umbrella itself; the heart of the beast. "We will head for the Umbrella facility at the center of the city, I have a feeling that is where we will find our enemy."

"How can you be so sure?" Chris sounded doubtful as he often did.

Wesker just smiled thoughtfully. "Trust me, Chris," he answered.

"I have a little difficulty doing that right now ... "

Wesker turned his attention to Rose, ignoring the doubtful murmur from the other man. "So, do we have a plan?" he asked.

Rose observed the old Umbrella tower in the distance, perched over top of a building like a vulture, cupping her hands over her eyes like an Indian. Wesker stood crouched behind her and he glanced down at Chris and the others as they slowly began to make their way deeper into the city. The plan was simple: Wesker and Rose would make a bit of noise, distract the dead while Chris and the others made their way to the tower to disable any security that there was.

"Alright, ready?" Rose said.

Wesker smirked at her once. "Be right behind me." And with that, he jumped gracefully off of the edge.

Rose rolled her eyes at the jibe and grabbed a flagpole before she flipped through the air and landed onto her feet onto the ground below. Once she straightened up, she turned her attention to the undead horde and whistled loudly through her teeth.

Slowly, each and every rotting head turned in their direction at the sound. Wesker and Rose took several small steps back as the zombies began to realize that these two were, in fact, potential prey. The two turned tail and ran into the opposite direction as the zombies lumbered after them.

"So, we'll lead these guys out to the docks!" Rose panted, "Then we'll rendezvous back at the tower!"

Wesker smiled sidelong at her. "Can you keep up?"

"Oh yeah?" Rose teased, grinning right back, "Eat my dust, old man!"

While the two led the crowds of the undead away and out of sight, Chris and the others slowly made their way down the dark, empty remnants of Raccoon City. So far, everything seemed to be in the clear as they ducked behind cars, rubble and corners as a safety precaution to prevent being seen. Krauser glanced across the cracked street to Jonas and Beth who were pressed against an alley corner. He pointed two fingers at his own eyes before he gestured once for them to go ahead.

Jonas acknowledged with a nod of his own and he and Beth quickly moved on ahead. The others followed suit. Leon's eyes wandered toward the building walls and pipes where various vines had shot up and ensnared most of the former civilian territories. There was something particularly strange about these vines. They were yellow in color and the leaves were violet with little red stripes. They were definitely not natural. But then again, nothing in Raccoon City was natural anymore.

"Hey, wait up a second," he said.

Everyone paused and turned to face him.

"Hey, come on," Chris told him, "We can't stay. We have to keep moving."

Leon glanced down the length of a gaping alleyway. There was a low, gentle breeze coming from that general direction, almost like peculiar breathing. His brows knotted suspiciously and he slowly glanced up at the rows of vines as they led into the alleyway. After a brief moment of silence, Claire nudged him in the hips with her elbow. He looked down at her and she gave him a quick indication with her head.

"Leon, come on."

He gave the others a quick glance before he followed behind them as they pressed forward. Something about that alleyway had just bothered him for a moment. Something was out there ... watching them.

"What's up your butt, Kennedy?" Krauser scoffed, interrupting his thoughts, "Don't tell me you're gettin' cold feet all of a sudden?"

Leon ignored the jibe. "I don't know about you, but this seems a little bit fishy to me."

Krauser chuckled and nodded his head. "This guy knows we're coming, Leon," he reminded him, "So we just have to stay one step ahead. We gotta be ready for anything that he throws at us."

Leon tsked. "Well, aren't you the cool one? The last time I remembered us being in this situation, you were the first to lose your head."

Krauser stopped and leaned in close to Leon's face. He spoke with a warning grimace on his face. "Keep it up and I may just turn the tables on ya', Leon." he threatened.

"Hey! Knock it off you two!" Beth called back to them, "We've got more problems right now."

Looming over them was the old Umbrella Headquarters; the company logo hung uselessly to the right, cracked down the middle and withered with age. The building seemed to be the only tall tower that was standing after the explosion that had taken all of Raccoon City out. The group stared up at the building for a moment, looking for any armed guard or defense systems.

"This is useless!" Chris protested, "Wesker's out of his mind. There's no one here."

"What's that?"

All heads turned and they noticed Rose and Wesker standing a few paces away from them; they were emerging from an adjacent alley and there were no signs of the undead anywhere to be seen.

"We have to get inside, Chris," Wesker told him, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "If you do not believe that I know he is inside this very tower, then you may simply wait outside and play with the dead if that would put your fragile mind at ease."

Chris scoffed quietly and cautiously advanced into the tower. "Maybe that would put _you _at ease, wouldn't it?" he sneered, sidelong at Wesker, "Knowing that I could end up dead and no one would know about your dirty little secret."

Rose's head flickered up and her eyes grew wide before she glowered furiously at Wesker. "You told him?"

She maintained a soft whisper so that no one else could catch on to what they were really talking about. The lobby of the building was just as rundown and filthy as the outside and everyone else moved to find something that would lead them to where they had to go.

"I told him," Wesker finally answered.

"You are a class act, you know that!" Rose whispered, venomously, "You get on my ass constantly about this; about how he shouldn't know any of our secrets and you're the first to spill the beans!"

"I don't think that it matters anymore, Rose."

"Why do you always insist on making decisions for me?"

Suddenly, there was a low bell-ding sound that caused all heads to turn toward the old elevator to the left. A light appeared between the cracks and as soon as the doors creaked open, a man in camouflage uniform stepped out from a perfectly sterile elevator room. He looked up with surprise at the sight of the group there. It took about two seconds before he whipped out a handgun and opened fire.

Wesker and Rose scattered and one of the rounds struck a BSAA soldier and he went down. Wesker quickly seized the doctor by the back of the head and delivered several nerve blows that sent the man crumbling to the floor with a sharp gasp to follow. He went still. He wasn't dead and the blows were mere nerve shots to disable him for now, but then again, Wesker wasn't about to waste his time killing a mere attack dog. He had his sights set on the MAN.

Chris immediately knelt beside the fallen man. "Shit, are you all right?"

The man groaned sharply with pain. "Fuck! Son of a bitch ... "

Redd knelt down across from Chris to check the man's condition while Wesker and Rose leaned into the elevator to inspect for any other surprises. "He's bleeding," he announced, "His, body armor stopped most of the rounds. But one got through."

"How bad?" Chris enquired.

"Not good, but he'll live."

Wesker turned to Chris and the others. "This elevator goes down further, so Rose and I will take it," he told them, "You will find another way down." He glanced down at the immobile guard and frowned. "There will be those who come looking for him. Stay out of sight until Rose and I take out whatever other guards remain."

"Wait!" Chris protested.

But it was too late; Rose and Wesker had already disappeared into the elevator. The doors roared shut and it descended deep into the underground. Chris heaved a frustrated sigh and gave his sister a look.

"I really hate that man ... "

O

Alex sat patiently in his comfortable leather chair inside his office, watching the security monitors in front of him. He smiled with pleasure at the little humans running down a flight of stairs to find his domain.

He reached over to the side of his chair toward a small cage that housed a tiny canary. He reached in and the small creature hopped immediately onto his finger. Alex brought the tiny animal close to his face and smiled gently, stroking his other finger up and down the yellow fluff of its back.

"This will truly be an event for the ages, won't it, my friends?" he murmured, to himself.

Behind him, in the shadows, something growled softly. The sounds of rattling chains filled the air, followed by the scraping of talons across the floor. Alex chuckled to himself and he flung his wrist, setting the canary into the air. The bird flapped its tiny wings and ascended toward the ceiling, but not before it was snatched up into a set of sharp, dripping teeth with an abrupt chirp of agony erupting from it.

Alex smiled at the gulping, chewing sounds and glanced down to the side, observing his "pets". They were like the Cerberus that Spencer's men had created, but unlike Spencer's toys, these possessed no form of uncontrollable appetites. There were no signs of decay among the two lounging beasts. Their skin was nothing but raw muscle and ripping tendons. They resembled massive dogs that had been stripped of their fur and they had no eyes. This was because of the massive, boil-like blisters that lined their skulls and spine. Alex had engineered these special "Cerberus" to obey his every command. There would be no lack of control under his rule.

"Oh ... Are you still hungry, my pets?" he asked, "Would you enjoy something that screams instead?"

Meanwhile, several of the guards that stood outside the elevator had their weapons trailed on the doors, waiting for them to open so that they could blast the intruders coming up. A few more joined in.

"The target's are in the elevator. Shut it down now!"

Wesker could hear their voices as they drew closer to the floor. "Hm. They have brought the welcome party this time," he mused, smirking sidelong at Rose, "Are you up for getting your dainty little hands soiled tonight, Miss. Bedford?"

She smirked at him. "As long as you are, Miss Wesker."

After a pause, the elevator jolted wildly and the lights within suddenly went out, casting the pair into total darkness.

"Oh, this is nice." Wesker remarked.

The elevator car shook once more and then came to a stop. The voices of the guards could be faintly heard on the other side. They sounded anxious and frantic. Good, the two could use their lack of proper planning to their advantage.

"Get those doors open."

"You do it!"

"That's a direct order, soldier! And get a squad up on there."

Outside, two of the guards pried the doors open with their guns and as soon as they did, the elevator car plummeted right down the shaft and crashed to the bottom below. The watching armed men stared after it, stunned.

"Wow, that was pretty easy."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Bitch fell like a rock."

"Are they dead?"

"Puh. If he wasn't before he sure as hell is now."

Inside the elevator shaft, Wesker and Rose were hanging along the sides, clinging to a ladder. Wesker looked down at her and gave her an indicating nod. She acknowledged and scaled the upper part of the doorway until she dangled upside down and stuck her head out at the guards. They recoiled with sharp cries and aimed their guns at her, startled. She smiled at them all.

"Hi, boys." she hissed.

Wesker waited on the ladder, listening to the sounds of punches, kicks and groans from the men. He sighed impatiently and glanced down at his wrist watch. Finally, Rose stuck her head into the elevator shaft and grinned up at Wesker.

"Hey, you comin' or what?" she asked.

Wesker made a mocking sound and swung himself out of the elevator shaft and into the sterile hallway. At least, it would have been save for the bodies that littered the floors. They were still alive as far as he could tell. Rose still didn't have it in her to outright kill a human being. Hah. Well, she would have to when she would face this enemy with him. There was no time for moral value here.

"Well done, Rose," he told her, "But you really shouldn't play with them so much. They may take advantage of your ... generosity."

She scoffed and shook her head at the jibe, pressing her boot into the back of a groaning soldier before he could get up. "Alright, alright, well, radio the others," she muttered, "Get their status."

Wesker gave her a small smirk before he rolled up his jacket sleeve and spoke into a small COM set on his wrist. Chris had given it to him after it took quite a bit from Claire and Rose to persuade him to do so. Wesker really didn't care about his he had acquired the device be it any means.

"Chris, are you there?" he said.

Chris and the others had made their way into the hangar bay. They were exploring the various vehicles and machinery within just before Wesker's voice filled the air. Chris begrudgingly tapped his COM link open.

"Yeah, everything checks out here," he answered, "There's no sign of our guy anywhere and there isn't much resistance on our end."

"_Good. I am so delighted to see that things have worked out for you, Chris. After all, I wouldn't want you to overwork yourself now would I?_" Wesker chuckled once more before his voice resumed its professional tone. "_What is your current position?_"

Chris inhaled sharply, forcing back an insult before he cast his gaze around the entire hangar bay. "It looks like some sort of hangar bay," he replied, "I'm guessing that these were bribery gifts from the guys he was working with."

On the other end, Wesker and Rose were observing a building map on the wall. Chris and the others were obviously several floors below their current position. They would have no trouble getting to them. Chris was tenacious; he wouldn't give up a fight so easily should this ENEMY grant him that pleasure.

"We will reconnect shortly," he told Chris, "Keep the line open should you find our man." He paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Oh? And Chris? If you _do _find him, he is mine."

Chris seemed to waver at the venomous tone in Wesker's voice. He had never heard Wesker speak like that since that day on Rockfort Island. Wesker had murder in mind, that was for certain.

At the corner of Rose's eye, one of the fallen soldiers was slowly getting back to his feet with a weakened groan. He shakily aimed his TMP gun at her and squeezed the trigger with round after round raining wildly in her direction. The bullets peppered her body, staggering her back slightly but not enough to outright take her off of her feet. She stared down at the smoking wounds before scowling angrily up at the horrified man as they slowly started to close.

"Mother fucker! Are you out of your damn mind?" she spat.

Wesker grabbed his boot knife and tossed it through the air toward the guard. It embedded itself into his chest and he was down with a sharp grunt. After twitching a few moments, the man was still. Wesker turned to Rose and gave her a skeptical frown. She stared back and shrugged her shoulders.

"What?"

O

Sergeant Redd and Corporal Topps began to move their way slowly down the length of a narrow, darkened hallway. It seemed to be a storage area of some kind, perhaps for viruses and test documents. There were small, dim lights on that indicated the paths down the halls, somewhat like the lights that one would see on the movie theater floors. It was eerie and too quiet for both men.

"You know, I'm starting not to like this so much," Redd protested, his gun high at the ready.

"You know, I was just thinking the same thing." Topps added, his eyes roving up toward the ceiling where there were metal beams that could have hidden anyone or anything over their heads.

"Well, maybe ... " Redd began.

_G__GRRRAAAAWWWRRRRLLLL_!

The sound resembled them MGM lion and it was loud enough to sound like it was coming from behind the two men. They jumped and cast their weapons back down the way that they had come. There was no sign of anything.

"Shit!" Topps hissed. He waited for a brief second. "We should check it out ... "

"Speak for yourself ... " Redd whispered, shaking somewhat where he stood.

Another sharp clanging sound jolted them toward the hallway in front of them and they immediately switched on their laser sights toward a small canister that rolled on by, almost as if someone had knocked it over. The two men glanced at each other warily and they did not move.

"This is getting weird." Topps murmured, slowly starting forward. He paused and glanced back at his not-so-eager comrade. "You coming?"

Redd shook his head and gestured with the barrel of his rifle. "Go ahead then. Check it out."

Topps rolled his eyes with dismay. "Well, if you're going to be a pussy about it, then at least watch my back."

Redd didn't argue. He just grinned and nodded. "You got it."

Topps shook his head with pity before he advanced slowly toward the following hallway. He stared down at the rolling canister and noticed that it was sticky with what appeared to be strands of saliva. He touched a bit of it with the barrel of his rifle, bringing it closer to his face for study. Suddenly, Redd clasped a hand down onto his friend's shoulder and Topps whirled on him furiously.

"You scared the shit out of me, man!" he whispered angrily, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Redd shrugged one shoulder as if it wasn't a big deal before something struck his shoulder with a dull splat. He frowned and reached up, bringing his hands to the sticky substance and squishing it between his fingers. A soft growling sound drew both men's heads upwards in the direction of the metal banisters.

The two "Cerberus" hounds lurked menacingly overhead and finally, one dove down at them with a bellowing, leonine roar. The two men screamed and attempted to open fire, but both creatures moved too swiftly for them to counterattack. The first Cerberus clamped its teeth onto Topp's wrist and the other grabbed his leg in its teeth. The two hounds began to play tug-of-war, ripping chunks of flesh from the wailing man's body.

"SHOOT THEM!" Topps wailed.

Redd attempted to lock onto the snarling, feeding animals that literally tore his screaming friend apart. As soon as his weapon clicked, one of the "Cerberus" jerked its head upwards and snarled, baring its blood-drenched teeth. Redd's hands shook as he fired a blast of bullets that ripped into the creature's tough hide, but it appeared to do no harm to it. Blood and chunks of flesh went flying, but the beast was still moving, advancing slowly onto him like a stalking predator.

"Oh shit!" Redd gasped.

Suddenly, it all happened in a blur. One minute he was standing there with his body intact, the next, the walls and windows all around him were abruptly splashed with blood. The blood-drenched COM was lying on the floor, mashed in chunks of flesh and entrails, completely ignored by the snarling, feeding animals as Chris' static-filled voice echoed from it.

_"I think I'm getting close to the lobby, but there's some kind of activity going on over there. I'm gonna check it out. Split up and see what you can find. Keep in touch and keep your links open, do you read?"_

Claire's voice filled the air next. _"Redd. Redd, do you read me? REDD! TOPPS! Do you copy? Shit ... "_

O_  
_

_Note_- Writer's block and... well, tooth cleaning can be a real pain. Oh and R'lyeh was a city in one of H.P. Lovecraft's tales.


	49. Chapter 49: Blacken Sabbath

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Forty-Nine: Blacken Sabbath**

_Raccoon City, Colorado_

Rose and Wesker found themselves inside Alex's office, facing his security screens that he had been looking at not too long ago. There was quite a lot going on in each screen; Chris and Claire were carefully moving their way through the main lobby of the underground base, Ivan and Mikhail seemed to have been arguing to one another inside a freezer filled with specimens, Leon was running up a flight of steps, Beth was with Krauser and Jonas was alone inside what looked like a greenhouse.

"Jesus, he can see everything in this place!" Rose exclaimed. Her eyes locked onto a small microphone with many buttons labeled onto the side. "Hey, Wesker, where does it look like Jonas is at?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes, knowing full well what she was going to do. "Rose, we don't want to jeopardize our position more than we already have," he argued, "I don't think that it's a good - - "

But Rose had already pressed the button labeled "Greenhouse" and spoke into the microphone in a mock parody of God's voice. "Jonas Burton, this is God speaking!" she bellowed, "I have seen all your sins! Including your 1970's porno collection!"

On the screen, Jonas jumped somewhat at the sound of her voice before he looked around wildly for the source. His eyes finally spotted the camera and he grinned broadly, waving his hand at her. _"Hey, I can see the camera from here!" _he said, leaning his head forward, _"Where are you guys anyway?"_

Wesker murmured painfully and shook his head with dismay.

"I think it's our asshole's private office," Rose said, "I'm not too sure exactly because he's got a little bit of everything in here; a lot of cameras, equipment - - Oh! And even an empty bird cage! - - I'm guessing from the equipment, he's got a thing about spying on all of his associates. Hah. What a freak." Rose's eyes locked onto another television screen beside Jonas'. Her eyes went wide when she noticed that a few guards were closing in on the greenhouse door. "Oh shit ... "

_"Rose? You still there?" _Jonas called, shifting on his heels.

Rose grabbed the microphone. "Jonas! Get out of there! You got company! Those guards know that you're in there! Move your ass!"

Suddenly, the screens began to fill with static one by one, blocking out every image of their comrades. Rose gasped in horror and attempted to contact Jonas once more by pressing the appropriate button over and over again, despite the fact that she had no signal.

"Jonas? Jonas! Jonas, can you hear me? JONAS!" Rose groaned angrily and punched the computer with a single fist. "GODDAMN IT!" She turned to Wesker and grabbed his arm. "Alright, we got to get down there to him right now!"

Just as they started to go, the screens blackened entirely. And then, one by one, Alex's image began to fill the screens. Only he was not wearing his true skin this time, nor speaking in his natural voice.

_"There, there, we don't want that, now do we?"_ he said, his voice echoing strangely due to him speaking from the various screens. _"Yes, we're going to be just fine, aren't we, my children?"_

Rose narrowed her eyes venomously. "Who are you?" she demanded.

_"Oh, that is a question not so easily answered, my dear,"_ Alex continued, _"I am everyone and no one, I am man and woman, I am God and mortal."_

Rose laughed coldly. "Sounds like you're just full of shit, old man!"

Alex chuckled quietly before he seemed to stare right at Wesker. _"Albert, I know you're there as well, watching me," _he continued, _"I'd almost given up waiting for you to come and play. I am flattered to have you here at long last."_

Wesker smirked sarcastically. "It'll pass."

Alex seemed delighted all the more, despite Wesker's sarcasm. _"Ohh,"_ he crooned, leaning back in his chair. His eyes seemed to glitter with amusement. _"Is that any way to treat an old friend of the family?"_

"What are you talking about?" Wesker demanded.

Alex sighed and shook his head, feigning sadness. _"It is such a pity when a boy no longer recognizes his ... " _And much to Rose and Wesker's horror, his entire form and voice changed to his true, original appearance, _" ... father."_

Rose's eyes grew wide. "Oh shit."

Wesker furrowed his brow. Through the dark lenses of his glasses, there was a gaze of deep thought, confusion and anger. But nonetheless, he spoke with a perfect calm. "No, it can't be," he said, "I know who I am."

Alex smiled and pointed to his own cheek. _"You're my blood, Albert. You always have been."_

"But you can't be my father." Wesker said, his voice hardening.

_"Spencer took you away from me ... " _Alex continued, ignoring Wesker's doubtful words, _"But losing you to him also served my purposes as well. You became the Great Nemesis of this world, the Immortal Albert Wesker, my flesh and blood son and soon, the King of the future that I will create."_

Wesker smiled cruelly. "Sorry, but I do not play second card to anyone," he told him, "If there's going to be anyone ruling this world or what is left of it after this, it will be me as its God, not you."

_"Oh Albert, my only regret was that you learned the ways of an arrogant puppet," _Alex sighed, _"But things will soon change. Once you see what my ... Special Work can do, you too will learn your place. You and Rose have a future together. A future as my Adam and Eve of the new world." _He grinned broadly now. _"After all, you have already started on that plan ... haven't you?"_

Rose grimaced with disgust. "You're disgusting!" she spat, "You have no right to our child, do you hear me?"

Alex tilted his head to one side and he looked amused. _"That was what the others said to me ... " _he murmured, _"I took all of their children away from them and they soon saw the benefit of it all."_

Wesker's glare intensified. He had enough of listening to this pretentious crap for one day. "Where are you, Alex?" he demanded, "If you are as powerful as you so claim to be, then you would have no objection to test your skills with me."

Alex smirked. _"I made no such proclamation, dear son,"_ he responded, _"I am where you want me to be. I will be waiting as will the rest of the world. The world that will succumb to us."_

Rose snarled. "Good, then we won't have to look very hard to find your ass in order to kick it!"

Alex's brows arched at the threat. He glanced at Wesker with a broad smile. _"You taught her a lot, didn't you, Albert?"_ He stood up from his spot. _"But there's so much more to learn." _After moving toward a door behind him, he stopped and glanced to the right; he smiled thoughtfully, as if he could hear something that the pair could not. Once a brief moment passed, Alex looked back at the two. _"__You know, Rose, they say that the greatest suffering ... a parent can know ... is the loss of a child. Perhaps you should check on your friends soon before they ... have a bad day..."_

Rose looked confused and angry all at the same time. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Alex smiled and waved at her before the screens went completely black.

Meanwhile, Ivan was moving slowly and cautiously down the pristine halls. He glanced both ways, gazing down two opposing hallways. There were no signs of anyone or anything. But as soon as he sensed something behind him, he whirled and there stood Alex, wearing his true skin. Ivan furrowed his brow thoughtfully and tilted his head to one side, scrutinizing the man standing there.

"You ... " Ivan whispered, "You ... You're not Spencer ... "

Alex chuckled and shook his head. "Indeed I am not," he replied, "I am he who made you into what you are, my dear Ivan. While Spencer claimed you as a failure, I see a beautiful Russian baby boy with a gift that he could not understand."

Ivan's eyes narrowed at the 'compliment'. He stared down at his wrapped hand, to the mutation beneath it and snarled at him, his eyes blazing with fury. "YOU! YOU DID THIS!" he shouted, "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

Alex uttered another chuckle. He took a deep inhale and his chest puffed up somewhat. "You seem distressed, my child. Was it not a blessing to give you the greatest gift of all? To allow for you to live forever?"

Ivan pulled out two handguns from his hip holsters and aimed them at Alex just as he started to take a step forward. The man stopped in his advance and shook his head with pity and boredom, as if he had been down this road before.

"Oh Ivan, look at you ... So eager to take a life ... so willing to squeeze the trigger for the safety of your family and friends," Alex continued, "You always were my favorite of them all. So spirited despite the circumstances, so full of vigor and life. You gave joy to another; a woman who saw you for what you were, not for what she wanted you to be. If only my son could have been that way." He closed his eyes and pretended to be hurt by the sound of the handguns clicking. His little specimen truly wanted to kill him. "Good. Stand your ground. Face me! Face your maker." A sudden grin touched his lips. "Family man."

"This not a game!" Ivan bellowed, furiously, "You took my wife! You hurt many others! You can't do this anymore!"

Alex arched an eyebrow and his voice seemed to change. There was no name for the tone there, but a clever man could possibly detect a bare hint of challenge there, as if Ivan had insulted his intelligence; almost. "A game?" he whispered, "Oh ... of course not, my boy. There is no joy to me in seeing innocents suffer." He smiled so suddenly. "After all, I do not wish to see another Demidov dead."

Ivan's eyes suddenly went wide in horror. "What?"

Alex closed his eyes. When he opened them, Mischa's voice emerged from his throat. "Papa!"

Ivan suddenly turned tail and ran back the way that he had come, determined to find his son. Alex watched him go and he slowly laughed to himself. This would be interesting indeed. "Go!" he called, "Go and find your son! Run!"

O

Keith Abernathy was slowly making his way into one of the laboratories where Mischa was hiding beneath a counter. He held an intricate knife with a small feather dangling from the hilt close to his chest and he shut his eyes, stilling his breathing like his father had taught him. Calm your heart, clear your mind and find your enemy's weakness. Once you found that weakness, you strike without mercy, without remorse.

It was the way of a warrior and Mischa had always wanted to be just like his father.

Just as he stood with his knife at the ready, he ended up face - to - face with a dark, gleaming barrel. Keith smiled at him, but his eyes held a glimmer of doubt for what he knew would have to be done.

"Hello there, cue ball." he sneered.

Mischa held up both of his hands and kept his gaze locked with Keith's. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, steadily, "What can you accomplish? Do you fight for better politics? Better wars? Money?" He chuckled. "My papa has a saying, 'Politics is a rotten egg. When broke, it stinks'."

Keith kept his weapon trained on the boy. "Alex has changed this world," he told the boy, "He made it better now that there are no crimes, no senseless wars, no nothing ... Once Albert and Rose come to terms with that, you will too."

Mischa chuckled and shrugged a single shoulder. "I guess I just have an eye for prettier things."

He swiftly grabbed a beaker and tossed it at Keith. The man reacted by shielding his arm from the glass that shattered against it and Mischa took the advantage by quickly ducking to the left. Keith regained his senses and opened fire, sending shellfire raining across the room, shattering glass beakers, rupturing rubber tubes and shredding papers. After he was sure that Mischa was no where in sight, he looked around furiously.

"Come out and fight!" he shouted.

Mischa was lying beneath a table across from Keith's exposed legs and he lashed out with the knife, slashing through the fabric. Keith gave a sharp cry of pain and shot round after round at the place where Mischa used to occupy.

"Goddamn it, boy," Keith snarled, "Stop this running around like a fucking pussy and fight me!"

Mischa laughed from somewhere across the room. He tried a bait - and - catch technique with a bit of colorful language the way Claire had taught him. "Hey, if you see that guy, tell him his grandmother was trying to work me over."

Keith snarled furiously and his face went bright red at the insulting joke. "You little son - of - a - bitch!"

Mischa moved just as fast again, slashing Keith behind his back. The man cried out in agony, clutching his wound and he looked around wildly for the boy. Damn! He was a fast little bastard! After a few moments of heavy breathing and curses, Keith suddenly smirked and shut off every sense he had save for hearing. He could make out small footsteps, heading right for him to his left ...

He turned swiftly and fired.

Mischa's world went white hot and before he knew it, he had hit the floor hard. His head rang with excruciating agony and his chest felt as if someone had set it on fire. There was a pool of bright red forming around his blurry line of vision and he realized that it was his own blood. He tried to scream for help, but he was interrupted by the liquid that filled his throat. Keith towered over him and Mischa glared up with defiance.

"I'm so sorry, son," Keith said, his words sounding like he was standing behind a muffled door, "It's not my style to kill a kid. Really, it's not. I didn't want this to happen, but I have orders. You had a lot of spirit. I'm sure going to miss you."

Mischa felt the cold barrel against his forehead and he finally stopped gasping long enough to smile with a sort of peace. "Мама, быть со мной ... " he whispered, just before his world went black.

Ivan had heard the sound of the gunshot just as soon as it went off. He froze in his spot and his chest felt a twinge of pain that he had never felt before since the death of his wife. He couldn't explain why he felt physical anguish, but right now, he had to find his son. He had to pray to himself that Mischa had been the one to pull a trigger, not the other way around. Oh please let that be it ...

"Mischa ... !" he gasped.

Ivan surged down the hall, running as fast as his legs would carry him toward the sound of the shot. His heavy footsteps thudded loudly against the floor and his nostrils flared with determined breaths. Oh God, please let him not be late!

"Mischa!" Ivan bellowed desperately, stopping at a corner, "MISCHA! Where are you! Answer father at once! Misch - - " He cut himself off at the sight of bloody footsteps that led a path out from the laboratory.

Ivan felt his world slowly close in on him and he moved tentatively toward the sliding door, losing his sense of breath and time. It swooshed open and the frantic father received the greatest horror of his life: the sight of his blood-drenched son lying on the floor.

Ivan felt his head ringing and he slowly dropped to his knees. The ringing in his head blotted out the horrible sounds of his screams.

_"MISCHA!"_

Ivan scrambled across the floor on his hands and knees, working his way through blood and glass to reach his dead son, not even caring if the shards were slicing into his flesh and cutting him in painful ways. He took a firm hold of his son and brought him close to his chest, sobbing against his forehead. He swayed back and forth as he cradled Mischa's lifeless body.

"My son ... My son ... " he moaned, over and over again, his tears streaming down Mischa's blood - soaked cheek, "Not my son ... "

He stopped sobbing long enough to notice the blood - stained knife in his son's clutches. He reached up and gently took it, studying the hilt with a smile of despair. He had made this weapon for him, carving his initials M. I. D. with the image of a wolf alongside it. Ivan chuckled sorrowfully to himself. He remembered calling his son a little pup when he was a baby, which had always earned the disdain from his wife.

Mischa had loved the name because it was something that he had shared with his father, no matter what anyone else said. The wolf had also been his most favorite animal, so Ivan, delighted by the fact that his son wanted him to craft a weapon for him.

But now ...

Ivan suddenly felt heat swelling in his chest, a heat that choked off his ability to breathe and all sense of reason. His world turned red and began to sway like the shifting waves of a crimson sea. He could not hear his own racing heart, his surging breath and his snarls. There was no Ivan, there was no Mischa, there was only the thirst for blood and the desire to kill until there was no more left to kill.

O

Keith had to drag his sorry ass into the medical bay where there were two doctors there to help him; a nurse and a male doctor. They peeled off his jacket, revealing the wicked, discolored slash on his back. He groaned as the two began cleaning it up. They seemed to work anxiously and hurriedly, almost as if they too were afraid of the intruders who were surely inside the inside Eden now.

"How did this happen, sir?" one of the doctors - - the woman - - asked.

Keith griamced sharply, stifling a groan when she dabbed the cut with a Q-tip filled with alcohol. "A Russian brat attacked me," he groused, "Little bastard was fast, too. But I took care of it."

The two doctors looked at each other. They didn't seem enthused by this knowledge; they had a more moral way of thinking that the soldiers here lacked. "Did you ... kill the boy sir?" the other doctor asked, grimacing as he said this.

"Let's just say he'll be doing his little square dancing in hell."

The doctors looked pained by his response, but they resumed work on fixing him up. After all, they had no say or authority to argue with Alex's guards. They could simply kill them too if he wanted them to.

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on the medical bay door. The three glanced over at it in confusion. "Hello?" the female doctor called.

On the other side of the door stood Ivan, shoulder high, wicked gurgling snarls filling his throat. He sounded like a man on the verge of a stroke or a heart attack. He raised his shaking, blood-drenched hands and smoothed back his hair before he knocked again.

"Answer it!" Keith spat, glaring at the doctors.

Suddenly, there was a loud popping sound and the door flew wildly off of its hinges like a piece of tin foil, sending hot showers of electricity everywhere and dimming the entire room into darkness. The trio across the room gave simultaneous, startled shouts and there was a struggle to get the lights back on and locate the source of the intrusion before it could overcome them.

"Get them back on!" Keith shouted.

"I'm trying!"

"Find the lights!"

After a brief and desperate struggle, the room lit up with light once more and the nurse was standing beside a set of switches, smiling with relief. She didn't see Ivan towering menacingly over her, his cat - like eye gleaming behind his white bangs.

"Whew, that was close," she sighed.

The other two looked beyond her with wide eyes. And there was the mortal horror in them that she recognized a second too late. "LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!" the male doctor shouted, desperately.

The nurse started to turn, but Ivan didn't give her that chance to see him. He grabbed her tightly by both of her arms and sank his teeth deep into her throat, piercing the flesh and tearing veins wide open. The woman screamed in agony and struggled to free herself from the powerful man. Her screams slowly began to die down into gurgling, wet cries. The other two stumbled and backed away with horror at the sight and they could hear Ivan's ravenous, hurried slurping as he literally fed from her tattered throat like some twisted vampire.

Keith grabbed his rifle and Ivan's eyes suddenly snapped wide from behind the throat of the woman, reacting just as quick. He raised her in front of him, using her as a human shield as Keith fired round after round at him, which in turn shredded the woman's body like paper and took what ever life that she may have had still left in her.

"Argh, shit on me! Shit on me!" Keith shrieked, horrified and disgusted all at once.

Ivan suddenly tilted his head upwards, scanning the air for sounds of the clicking weapon (rid of its ammunition), taking deep, wet inhales - - like a hungry beast - - before he flung the lifeless nurses' body into the male doctor, sending him stumbling across the floor. He cried out in pain and made every desperate attempt to remove her from him before he could be next. Ivan was fast and on him in an instant. He grabbed the doctor by the mouth before he could even open his mouth to scream.

Wide eyed and muffled screams silenced by the horrible, clawed hand that seized him, the doctor was forced to look into the mismatched gaze of horrible, animal madness. Ivan's mouth dripped with blood and the corners pulled back into a wild, hungry grin. He gave an unholy, warbling cry before he pressed his claw into the doctor's left eye, squishing it like a jellybean and sending blood gushing from his head.

The doctor screamed in white - hot agony and Keith took the chance to flee from the room. Ivan jerked his head back with a snarl and flung the doctor aside like refuse. His head struck the end of a counter top, crushing his skull like a coconut from the force and killing him instantly.

_You things things things of the flesh do it slow  
Down avenues fuck me lust my eyes  
Licking lips encouraging Mr. Careworn  
To gaze upon a screen bask on after the flesh  
We'll infect your carnal mind after the flesh  
I walked through forests with ugly spirits  
Kissed their feet and found them calm calm calm  
Still I don't have any money money money  
My body suffers after the flesh_

Keith ran as fast as he could, listening to the thundering footsteps of Ivan giving chase behind him. At this rate, the man was sure to catch him. Man! This was no man! This was a goddamn monster! He started for the corner and readied his handgun, back pressed against the wall. He struggled to calm his breathing as the massive Russian man stomped heavily passed him.

Keith's heart hammered wildly in his chest and he finally took a deep sigh of relief and leaned his head back. "God ... " he breathed.

"Nooo ... " answered a low, panting voice.

The sounds of it sank his heart clear into his stomach. Keith turned slowly to his left and there was Ivan, grinning wickedly into his face. Before he could react, Ivan shoved his clawed hand deep into his chest, going for the pulsing organ beneath his rib cage. Keith tried to scream, but when he opened his mouth, Ivan leaned forward and bit his tongue clean off as if it were a piece of raw meat, silencing any screams and any hope for getting backup.

O

_"Fall back!"_

_"There it is! Fuck! Fuuuuck!"_

_"Run! Get outta of here!"_

_"I can't see it. Where'd it go? Where'd it go?"_

_"What IS that? What the hell is that?"_

Claire stayed out of sight, listening to the tormented sounds of anguish through her COM link. She quickly ducked beneath a secretary's desk as two guards walked on by, talking through their COM links.

"Keith, check in! Keith! Answer me, goddamn it! What the fuck's going on down there?" A pause followed by a defeated sigh. "Shit, he's not responding. I think he might have gotten caught by the intruders."

"Should we go check it out?"

A skeptical laugh from the other - - the first one who had spoken. Claire looked somewhat confused by the knowledge. "The boss told us to wait here till everything is in the clear for him. You wanna be the one to disobey his orders?"

"No way, man!"

After they continued on by, Claire lifted her head from the desk and took a quick exhale of relief. She had to find the others and fast. Things were getting out of control here. Whatever this guy had set lose killed most of the guards. But why would he intentionally allow for his own men to be destroyed by it? So far every action had been calculated and precise. It didn't make sense.

Suddenly, the sound of Mikhail's voice filled her ears and she jolted where she stood.

_"Claire! Miss Redfield, please ... "_

Claire furrowed her brow, cast a quick glance both ways and tapped her COM reception to hear him better. "Mikhail?" she said, "Mikhail, can you hear me? What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

_"It's Ivan ... He's ... " _There was a soft, horrified whisper that Claire had never heard before from one as stoic as Mikhail, _"He's ... Oh God ... he's ... So much blood ... Mischa is ... He's not listening to me ... Please ... please, you have to come here!"_

Claire didn't like the sound of that. "Is Ivan hurt?" she asked.

_"N - No ... I - I don't think so ... "_

Claire held her shotgun close to her chest. "What's your position?"

_"Second floor. Medical wing. Please, hurry!"_

Claire felt her heart grow cold. She wasn't too sure if she wanted to see what was wrong, but she had to. If Ivan was hurt in any way, or Mischa, they would need her help. Claire had learned quite a bit from Rebecca and her time in Terra Save. She had to help them.

"Hang on, Mikhail," she answered, "I'll be there."

She rushed down a flight of emergency stairs and continued to glance at each sign posted until she found the one she was looking for: 2ND FLOOR. She carefully opened the door, glancing both ways down the quiet hallways to make sure that no one was around before she hurried on.

Mikhail suddenly appeared from around the corner and when he saw her, his features brightened in relief. Claire had never seen him look so haggard before; his hair was disheveled and there was blood on his jacket and hands.

"Oh thank God!" he panted, "Come! Come quickly!"

Claire followed Mikhail around the corner and she was stunned to find a gory, bloody mess all throughout the hallway. Ivan was lying with his back against the wall, holding his son in his arms. He had his head hung, hair hiding his eyes and he seemed to be muttering soft, hurried words in Russian. Claire looked around with shock, trying to put everything together for what had happened.

"Oh God! Oh my God!" she cried. She cautiously approached the man. "Ivan ... "

He continued mumbling as if she wasn't even there, stroking Mischa's lifeless head with one shaking hand. Mikhail stared at Claire desperately and she frowned at him. "Did you give him his pill?"

"I tried!" Mikhail insisted, "I tried everything! He won't listen to me! This happened before but his wife was the only one who could bring him back." He shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what to do!"

Claire stared at him sternly. "You can start by not freaking out," she replied, "It's only going to make things worse."

Mikhail nodded, but he didn't seem very certain. Claire leaned forward, whispering quietly to Ivan, cautious because she knew that he was still in the throes of his madness and could lash out without warning.

"Ivan?"

Beneath Ivan's soaked bangs, his lips pulled back, revealing the blood - stained teeth. A soft hissing sound escaped him, like that of a threatened animal challenged by smaller, cunning prey.

"Ivan?" Claire repeated, "Ivan, look at me."

Shakily, Ivan lifted his head slowly, terrible, choked whimpers escaping him. His eyes were far gone, filled with madness and delirium. It was like peering into the windows of hell itself; his eyes looked absolutely frightening. Suddenly, he screamed and thrashed at her and Mikhail pulled her out of the way to avoid his clawed arm.

"NO!" Ivan screeched, between choked sobs, "No! No, no, no, no!"

Claire tugged her way from his grasp and ducked from Ivan's thrashing fists to take his face between her hands and press her forehead to his. "Ivan! Ivan, it's me!" she cried, "Ivan, it's Claire. Ivan, it's me." She grimaced when his clawed hand grabbed her shoulder, starting to pull her away from him, but she fought the pain of it and spoke soothingly through a sharp hiss. "It's Claire. It's Claire."

Ivan's body rocked with massive spasms and he reached up to push her away, but his hand froze inches over her shoulders and tightened into trembling fists. Claire took one of those fists into her hands and smiled down at him, despite her uneasiness.

"Claire ... " he groaned, tears forming at the corners of his eyes, "They ... they killed ... " His voice disappeared into broken, hollow sobs.

Claire couldn't tell him anything that would make him feel any better. He was a father who had lost his child; nothing that she said would do anything to change that. She quickly felt around his blood-spattered coat pockets to find his capsules.

"Mikhail, where are his goddamn pills?" she demanded.

"Left pocket!"

Claire fingered through Ivan's left chest pocket, taking note to his lack of resistance before she pulled out the small container that held several horse-sized red pills. She popped the cap open and took out a pill, pressing it to Ivan's immediately seized lips. Now was not the time for this. They had to hurry before other guards came to investigate their fallen comrade. After listening to the two that were in conversation, they were sure to catch on soon.

"Ivan, take it, please!" she begged, softly, "Please ... "

Ivan whined like a beaten dog, his brow knotting before his lips parted and he took the pill, swallowing it after a long, tense moment. The red around his irises faded and he stared at Claire with sorrow, pain and bitter rage.

"C - Claire ... " he moaned.

"Ivan ... What happened?" Claire asked, sternly.

He looked down at his lifeless son and his teeth slowly set. "He ... He killed ... That ... bastard dog!" he snarled, his voice slowly losing every ounce of composure. "My son ... My SON! _MY SON!_" After a moment of petting Mischa's head, the anger and rage faded away, melting completely into sorrow, weakness and pain. "No ... Mischa ... NO!"

Mikhail watched the scene with pity and lowered his head.

"Ivan, we can't stay here!" Claire told him, shaking his shoulders gently, "We have to move now!"

"I can't ... "

"You have to!" Claire insisted, "Do you really think Mischa would have wanted his father - - his inspiration - - to sit around and die crying in blood or would he want his father to kill the bastard who took his life?" She chuckled weakly. "If it were me, I'd be a little bit open to the idea!"

"Claire ... "

"Get your big ass up, Ivan!" Claire told him, "Get up and win this for your boy."

Ivan looked up at her, his face haggard from crying. After a long, tense moment of staring at her, searching her eyes for something, he weakly exhaled and something suddenly changed in his gaze. "You ... You came back ... for me?"

Claire smiled at him and nodded. "What else could I do?"

After a moment of gathering his wits about him, Mischa was covered with Ivan's long jacket and saluted by both Ivan and Mikhail as if he were a fallen soldier in their ranks. Ivan had placed the knife on Mischa's chest.

"Godspeed, Mischa!" Mikhail whispered.

"Godspeed ... " Ivan repeated.

Finally, the three raced down the length of the hallway, seeking out the revenge that was desperately craved.

_O  
_

_Note_-The snippet of the song here is "After the Flesh" by My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. I tell ya' what, that is one long ass name. LOL! You see the source of Ivan's madness. The scent of blood and his fallen son pushed him to the edge. Is this gore a bit much, you wonder? I'd say it follows along Darkside Chronicles in terms of emotion and gore.

_Мама, быть со мной...__ "Mama, be with me..."_


	50. Chapter 50: Darkness Falls

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Fifty: Darkness Falls**

_Raccoon City, Colorado_

Jonas wasn't too sure how long he'd been unconscious. His world spun out of control and his head hurt almost like something had been punched clear through his skull. After waking up and checking out his surroundings, he noticed that he was no longer inside the greenhouse. It looked like he was in a laboratory of some kind, barely lit by the lights above with computers, microscopes and various tubes.

"Hello ... Welcome, dear boy."

Head still swimming, Jonas looked around for the source of the almost warm and gentle voice. He spotted Alex standing beside a table and his brain could barely process the man working with something. Alex smiled at him and Jonas looked away to a guard at his side. It was then that he noticed his arms strapped down to a table which suspended him vertically above ground. The same was with his legs. He was pinned down and could not move.

"W - What the hell is this?" Jonas groaned, "What are you doing?"

Alex turned back to what he was working on; a syringe which contained a suspicious violet fluid. "You put up quite a fight in the greenhouse," he said, "My men had to tranquilize you before you could escape us. Safety precautions, you understand." He looked back down at Jonas with that same kind, gentle smile. It was so peaceful that it was hard to believe that he was the enemy. "It may take a little time for your grogginess to dissipate."

"You piece of fucking dog shit!" Jonas shrieked, struggling beneath his bonds, "Let me out of here so that I can kick your - - "

The guard at his side smacked Jonas across the face with the end of his rifle and the action caused Alex to glare swiftly at him. "That's enough!" he scolded. After a moment, Alex smiled and gestured to the side. "Go and see what is keeping our guests, will you?"

The guard nodded his acknowledgement and walked out of the room with his weapon in hand. Jonas watched him go with blood trickling down the length of his cheek. He wasn't sure how well his friends were doing if the menace was here all along. He wasn't even sure how long he had been out cold and on this table and why he was kept alive was another story entirely.

Alex walked over to him and dabbed Jonas' blood-stained lip with a small handkerchief. "I really must apologize for my associate's behavior," he told him, "He's in desperate need of a lesson in manners."

Jonas stared down at the hand that wiped the blood and then, back up at him with confusion, fear and anger. "Who are you?"

Alex smiled at him before lowering the hand. There was a strange light in his eyes that Jonas wasn't particularly fond of. "Forgive me, my friend; my name is Alexander Wesker, but my comrades in arms simply call me Alex," he answered.

Jonas groaned and struggled some more beneath his bonds. "I need to get out of here. I need to get back to my friends!"

Alex shook his head and placed the handkerchief onto the table. "Oh, I'm afraid that I can't let you go, Jonas. You see, I didn't want such unnecessary bloodshed to happen, but most things don't go the way we want, now do they?"

"What are you talking about?" Jonas groaned in frustration. "Whatever war you want to start - - "

Alex let out a small laugh and stared at the man with amusement. "'Whatever war I want to start'? Oh my boy, I have no desire to start a war with anyone or anything. The good of the world is my only real concern, not petty argument over which part of the world wields the better weaponry."

He leaned over toward a computer and began to type a few keys in. Jonas watched him with confusion. "What are you doing?"

Alex winked at him before he returned his gaze to the computer screen. "Jonas Burton ... You are a chemical physicist, are you not? You earned two degrees, including a Jurist Doctor. Oh! And you are fluent in German, it seems!"

Jonas frowned. "Yeah? So what!"

Alex's smile seemed to broaden. "I have seen so much through the eyes of many, Jonas," he continued, "Your 'friends' don't give you the respect that you so rightfully deserve." He watched a sort of warmth cross the man's cheeks. "They ridicule and mock you, but you are so much more intelligent than they give you credit for." Alex stood up and slowly moved over to Jonas. "Now, what I cannot fathom is why you tolerate such cruelty to begin with. Why does one with such talent allow for himself to be treated in such a way when he could make so much more of himself?"

Jonas tried to act as if he had the answers. "It's just their way," he protested, "It doesn't bother me. Friends do it to each other all the time."

Alex arched a single brow. "Doesn't it?"

Jonas couldn't look at him for some reason. Being so open about his feelings made him very uncomfortable. He was never too open about how he felt very much. "Well ... no, it doesn't!" he insisted.

Alex squinted at him before he chuckled softly. "Ahh, tell me, Jonas, you were an only child, am I correct?"

"Yeah ... ?"

"Your parents ... Your father was your idol and you were his whole world. Your mother was merely an unwanted guest in your self - proclaimed paradise, and when your father had perished, she suddenly welcomed you with open arms."

Jonas shifted uncomfortably. "M - Maybe ... "

"But it wasn't always so, wasn't it?" Alex crooned, "Why do you believe that your mother suddenly came to you? Why do you think that she, with such a history of ... mental weakness ... would suddenly develop a motherly instinct?"

Jonas felt his stomach sinking slowly and slowly to the ground. His throat felt dry and his world bega to spin some more, but this time, he knew that it wasn't because of the sedative still swimming inside of him.

"Your heart knows of the truth, boy," Alex continued, "Your mother told you he died of cancer, but why ... " He smiled and shook his head. "Why were you never allowed to see him? Why had you never been allowed to visit his grave?"

Jonas gnawed at his lower lip and he felt like crying. It all slowly began to unfold before him. The Truth. The horrible, agonizing Truth. "No ... "

Alex turned to the table and retrieved the syringe, but not before turning the computer to show Jonas the screen. There was an image of a man who was lying on a medical table, dead with a bullet hole inside his skull. Jonas squeezed his eyes shut and a warm, happy childhood image of his father filled his head before it disappeared to the horrible, swollen dead thing on screen.

"The police records have the weakest possible security, wouldn't you agree?" Alex mused.

Jonas' face filled with horror and despair and his eyes misted over. "No!" he screamed, finding the courage that he never thought possible, "No! It's a fucking lie! You're fucking with me, you piece of shit! My mother wouldn't do that! SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT!"

Alex moved closer to him and he held the syringe up to Jonas' cheek. "And how do you know?" he asked, gently, "A woman who spent most of her life with more companions than the finest wealthy ... A woman who'd rather embrace money than her flesh and blood child." He tsked and shook his head with pity. "I would not have had that happen to you. Discourtesy is unspeakably ugly."

Jonas' sobbing stopped long enough for him to now take notice to the needle. His breath came out in great gasps and he eyed the syringe warily. "W - What's in that?" he demanded, "What are you doing?"

"This? My boy, this is a little gift for you," Alex continued, "A previous associate of Umbrella referred to it as the G - virus. It is my blessing for you with ... my own personal touch added ... "

Jonas had never experienced it first hand, but he had heard enough stories about the G - virus and witnessed the change in Frank to know just what kind of damage it was capable of. His struggles intensified as Alex brought the tip of the needle toward a select vein in his wrist. He could feel the pressure of it. It would soon pierce his flesh. "No! Please, don't do this!" he begged, "Don't turn me into one of those things! Please! PLEASE!"

Alex shushed him gently like a child and slowly, ever so slowly, undid the straps of his legs that held him in place. Jonas clenched his teeth in agony when he felt the needle slide into his arm a few seconds later, pumping the cursed virus into his veins. He let lose a howl of fury, pain and when his arms were free, he started to make a lunge for Alex's throat in a desperate and final attempt to wound him; the man took a step back and watched as Jonas doubled over with a sharp groan.

"Oh ... you bastard ... !" Jonas gurgled, his voice pitching low with agony.

Alex smiled at him and gently wrapped his arms around the man, petting his head like a child. "Shhh ... " he soothed, "It will all be over very soon, sweet little boy. You will never feel any pain again, I can assure you of that."

Pain? Alex had no idea of the concept and no perceptive guess on what Jonas was experiencing right at this very second. Pain was a hell of an understatement and he tried so very hard to remember who he was and his friends. But everything was hurting so very bad and to him, it felt like someone was clawing his stomach wall open with sharp steak knives. His vision twisted and bent before him like a kaleidoscope and suddenly, his brain functioned only one clear, powerful message, clearing out any human thoughts that he may have had left in his head.

_KILL._

O_  
_

"I'm getting too old for this shit! Somebody get me a goddamn wheelchair!"

Beth and Krauser fired several rounds of shellfire at the guards that swarmed for them. Beth had shouted out the message while simultaneously working to reload her weapon. After clearing out the crew of guards, Krauser moved down the hallway toward a door labeled: MAIN STUDY. He gave Beth a smirk and gestured for her to follow. She rushed into the storage room and they came across rows upon rows of documents strewn everywhere, books lying wide open and boxes of old papers.

"Wesker said to find anything that might help us," Krauser told her, "Let's start searching."

Beth nodded and leaned her TMP against the wall to begin searching a center table where there were many schematics drawn up and important test documents. She picked up a collection of schematics. They looked to be drawings of a satellite, but it was unlike the one that had been viewing them from space. This one was ominous in appearance; it resembled a metallic disk that indicated various feedback antenna and tubes.

Beth placed the schematics back onto the table before she picked up a few more documents. One intrigued her specifically. It was a paper that discussed something regarding the "Genesis" Project.

It has been confirmed that the accident at the

Bedford Estate was due to the

involvement of Spencer with Genesis specimen number RB-G101

(hereafter referred to as Rose Bedford). With the death of Charles,

Rose is going to go through mental trauma. Despite

Spencer's paranoia, this will work as planned.

Rose is still so very young, she has much to learn about

suffering and disappointment. Her mind will become that much more fertile

for manipulation. The Genesis Project will proceed according to plan.

Albert and Rose both possess the perfect genetics,

they will no doubt become the Adam and Eve of this world.

Spencer is simply just a pitiful fool who has already

suffered the whims and sins of this world. How he had

survived such a long time in his mortal form is certainly

beyond even my recognition.

However, take note, dear comrades, you will become a part

of this as well as any other in the Great Scheme of Life.

I eagerly await your responses, gentleman.

Umbrella Information Department

Alex W.

Beth furrowed her brow. This was about Rose and Charles Bedford the day after he had died. Good God, there was so much about her dear friend that they planned on doing and Wesker was a part of it too. It wasn't just a matter of using them both, they wanted to make them into the perfect breeding vessels. It was sick. It was so sick! The next paper in her hands held a seal of the Umbrella Corporation, but it was merely a transportation record of various test specimens.

"Hey, did you find anything?" Krauser called, from across the room.

Beth nodded. "Yeah, I might, how about you?"

"I dunno," Krauser answered, walking up to her with a collection of papers and a folder in his hand, "I think I found something. It's really weird though. Check it out." He handed her one particular paper and Beth took it without question.

Her eyes roved over the page for a moment, reading it quickly in her head before she frowned halfway through. "This is talking about having to remove a heart?" she murmured, in disbelief, "Huh? Take out a heart ... " She laughed. "That sounds like something out of a goddamn horror movie."

Krauser shrugged one shoulder. "The hell if I know what he's talking about," he answered, "But we'd better take what we can and find Wesker. I don't want to stay here for too long in case more of those shitheads come back to round two."

Beth nodded her head in agreement and gestured to the objects on the table. "Alright, take those and let's get out of here."

The two gathered whatever papers that they could find of any significance, folded them up and placed them into packs on their backs before they carefully crept from the room before they were seen. As they moved silently down the hallways, they suddenly noticed Jonas staggering down the other end, gripping the wall for support. Beth could tell that he was in great pain.

"Jonas!"

Beth immediately rushed over to him and caught him in her arms just as soon as he lost his balance and had nearly fallen over. "B - Beth ... " he groaned, through clenched teeth; he sucked in air like a drug, "You - You have to run!"

"Jonas, what's the matter?" Beth asked, worriedly. There were no wounds visible on him and he seemed to be fine.

Jonas looked up at her and the irises of his eyes dilated inhumanely into huge black pools. They made his face looked unsettling. "Please ... " he begged, "You have to run, get away while you ... still can! ... He - He shot me with ... the G - G ... " His voice was lost in a powerful shout of pain and he pushed Beth roughly away.

Krauser immediately grabbed the woman's wrist and forced her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Beth shrieked, glaring at him.

Krauser gave her a worried and slightly angry look. "Hey! I'm no scientist here, but I know just what he was gonna finish that sentence with and I don't want to stay here when the fireworks hit!"

Beth looked horrified and stared down at the groaning, writhing form of Jonas. "No!" she cried, desperately.

Jonas' body twisted and bent at odd angles and he gave Beth a final smile through the haze of pain. "Buh - Beth ... Run ... "

Finally, his body bowed back and his right arm began to ripple and expand, the tissue beneath his hand swelling to an abnormal size. A scream escaped his lips. It was frightened at first, but then i sounded angry. Very angry. His fingers shattered and were replaced with large, sharp claws. Beth's face was filled with sorrow, watching her friend transforming into the thing that had afflicted Frank back home in Atlantic City.

Jonas now possessed a disproportionate right arm, and a large tumor-like eyeball had developed within the shoulder along with lengthy, tipped spines. His other arm had elongated past his feet and the fingers stretched into long, sharp claws. The irises of his eyes had stretched past the brown, and now, his eyes were nothing more than pitch black pools; there was no signs of humanity in them any longer.

"Shit!" Krauser growled, grabbing Beth's arm and running back the way that they had come.

Jonas uttered a low, bellowing animal roar and gave chase.

Krauser and Beth fled from the monstrosity and when they were sure that they had eluded him for now, they ducked out of sight into a room labeled: "MAIN POWER CORE. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY".

"We gotta call the boss!" Krauser breathed, "We can't take this bastard on ourselves!"

Beth punched him in the shoulder; a desperate attempt to maintain her volatile feminine demeanor and failing at it miserably because of the sorrow and emotion she felt right now. "It's still Jonas!" she cried, "He's still our friend!"

Krauser laughed angrily at her and he flicked his gaze toward the door that they had come through. "I take it you haven't had a hands - on experience with the G - virus at that place of yours, huh? Were you even watching what it did to your coworker?"

There was a loud banging sound that drew both of them toward the door. The sound grew louder and louder. Finally, a set of claws punched through the metal and began to peel it aside like a sardine can. Krauser and Beth watched with horror as the deformed face of Jonas peeked through the crack with his lifeless black pools leering out at them.

"Shit!" Krauser groaned, "Come on! Follow me, I have an idea!"

Beth followed Krauser as he led her further and further down a flight of circular stairs. After a moment of peeling the metal away, the creature emerged, snarling and sniffing the air. Its red, close - ranged vision picked up the sight of Beth and Krauser as they disappeared further down the stairway. The creature moved swiftly, scaling down the length of the tower of stairs ... from the very center.

As Krauser and Beth made it to the very bottom where the constantly rotating central power source hummed loudly, waiting for them was Jonas. Krauser stumbled back a few paces and Beth gave a terrified cry.

"Oh my God!" she shouted.

The monster stomped heavily toward them, nostrils flaring as it breathed.

_Kill. Kill. Kill. _

_It. Will. Be. So. Easy. To. Kill. Them. _

"Jonas!" Beth cried, desperately, her voice sick with loss and disgust, "Please! Don't do this! We're your friends!"

The monster tilted its human head to one side, studying her. Krauser took the opportunity to open fire on the creature and it gave a low, bellowing shriek of fury and pain, raising its clawed arm toward its head to protect itself.

"Fucking hell, shoot the damn thing, Beth!" Krauser spat, at her, "That's not Jonas anymore!"

The monster dropped its claws and snarled at them.

"Jonas, please!" Beth begged, aiming her TMP at the creature's human head, "Don't make me do this!"

The creature did not react to her pleas but continued to advance with murder and blood - lust gleaming in those dead, black pools. Krauser continued to pump round after round into it, but the bullets ripped through the monster's flesh uselessly, doing no damage and not once breaking its stride.

"Goddamn it!" Krauser cursed, flinging his TMP over his shoulder and taking out a pump shotgun.

But Jonas gave him no chance of that. He reached out with a roar and grabbed Krauser by the head. The man struggled to break free and felt nothing but air beneath his feet. The monster that had once been Jonas Burton was lifting him off of his feet in the grip of its claws. Krauser tried to break the claws with his own two hands, but there was no releasing himself against something like this.

The claws slowly started to clench tightly around his head. Soon, the pressure would crush it like a coconut and if Krauser didn't get free soon, he was as good as dead.

And then, just as soon as it had picked him up, it suddenly released him. Krauser felt cold floor beneath him and he quickly scampered to his feet before the creature could grab at him again.

Beth and Krauser watched Jonas' entire body spasm in pain and he grabbed his own head with his slightly less dangerous arm, moaning eerie, demonic sounds of what appeared to be internal suffering. Was he fighting the monster within him? From the sight and sounds of his torment, Beth could only guess that he was struggling to hold back the inhumanity in him for as long as he could.

She was wrong.

Jonas' monstrous abdomen began to swell and expand, ripping wide open with a sickening sound that the two viewers nearly retched at. It appeared to be its own insides spilling open and ribs showing through the exposed, bloodless wound.

And with the last ounce of humanity left, Jonas could hear Alex's words echoing in the fading corners of his fleeting thoughts.

_" ... with my own ... personal touch ... "_

_" ... personal touch ... "_

_Personal touch ..._

Jonas' skull split five different ways and new layer of bone formed in placement of the old, creating a slender, reptilian jawline. His abdomen caved into itself and two squishy bulbs formed right above, similar to wriggling eyeballs. Sharp, dagger-like teeth slid out from Jonas' stomach cavity and a long, whip - like tail ripped whatever was left of his human clothes in two. Several spikes ripped up from his bulging flesh that had grown in size _to _accommodate its massive mandible, a gaping, circular stomach cavity surrounded by rows of spike-like projections, which has now fused into the many spikes that formerly covered the thorax of the beast.

"Holy shit!" Krauser cried, "He fucking changed already?"

The now fully transformed monster moved heavily toward them, nostrils flaring rapidly, breath heaving through its chest. It swiped its claws out and smacked Krauser aside, sending the man tumbling into the pipe-laden walls. Just as Beth raised her weapon, claws connected with her as well, sending her to the floor with a sharp cry of pain. Heat laced up the length of her arm and she glanced down, noticing three large cuts gushing bright red blood through her ripped jacket.

"Ahh ... "

The monster loomed over her and uttered a low, menacing hiss, reaching out to grab her and Krauser quickly crawled on his belly to seize his shotgun and pump a round directly for the creature's skull. It recovered immediately and snarled at him.

Krauser's brows went up. "Shit."

Meanwhile, Wesker and Rose were standing outside Alex's meeting room where he could be heard speaking to other people inside. Wesker gave Rose an indicating nod and she acknowledged with one of her own. Finally, they kicked the doors open and rushed into the room where Alex stood in the very center, giving a discussion to men clad in uniforms from various countries around the world.

Wesker took one side of the table, taking every single man down while Rose took the other side. Alex just calmly observed the scene with a grin of macabre amusement, listening to the groaning sounds of his comrades around him.

"You've come at last," Alex crooned, "How wonderful." He cast his gaze around the room to each and every moaning man before grinning. "And you certainly know how to make an entrance, Albert."

Wesker smiled right back and his voice was absolutely dripping with sarcasm. "I aim to please."

"Well, now that you are here, perhaps it's time I give you the truth that you so desperately crave." Alex continued, stepping over a groaning man in a French uniform. "After all, I do owe it do you, don't I?"

Rose drew both pistols from her boots and aimed them directly at him. "Yeah, you're damn right you owe us, asshole!"

"But ... to receive what you want, you must give me something in return," Alex continued, "Just ... one little bit of information is all I ask for. I want to know about you, Rose. I want to know your deepest sorrows, your dearest troubles."

Rose scowled angrily. "What?" she snapped, "I don't see how that's going to get us what we need!"

Alex just stared at her gently. "Oh Rose, running into the dark with only the light of instinct guiding you," he murmured, "It must be so frightening to wonder what is on the other side. Would you even _want _to know the truth?" He chuckled softly. "Well, I suppose that could offer something akin to how a shepherd leads even the most wayward of his flock but it might sound disingenuous and I certainly don't want that. Maybe you would care to start off by telling me whatever happened to your father's murderer."

Rose frowned and a glimmer of doubt touched her eyes. "Why does that even... " she tried, "Look, that's not import ... "

"No. I will listen now," Alex interrupted, "After the murder of the man that you called father, you were practically an orphaned child with only the mother of your dearest friend to watch over you. You were lonely, banal ... hopeless in the world with only your blood - filled dreams to keep you company at night. Even with your dearest friends always close by, the feelings of loneliness faded away only for a short time. You were still ... so very lonely."

Rose's face was a mixture of doubt and uncertainty; Alex was hitting all of the right buttons and he knew it.

"Tell me ... Tell me how you felt ... _That day_." he whispered.

Rose swallowed hard and forced the terrible, hot lump down her throat. She gave Wesker a look, seeking reassurance and he simply nodded to her. They had planned this; planned to know every little detail despite the pain that would come with it. Rose spent the entire walk strengthening her resolve as much as she possibly could to face whatever Alex had to throw at her.

"Tell me, Rose," Alex repeated, "I want to know of your suffering. I want to know how it felt ... to lose someone that you loved."

Rose managed to find her voice. "It ... It was warm outside that night ... " she began, "Dad - - Ch - Charles Bedford ... He was making me dinner and I went out to capture fireflies. I liked them a lot. I studied insects and how they behaved. Fireflies were my favorite specimens."

Alex arched a brow and his voice was soothing, comforting. "You started at what time?"

"I ... I think it was six ... Early but the sky was still dark."

While they continued to speak to one another, one of the men in uniform struggled to rise from his fallen position near Wesker's feet, to seize a weapon that had fallen from his holster, but Wesker's foot came down hard on his face, knocking him out. He returned his harsh gaze on Alex, making sure that the man did nothing particularly sneaky.

"Then something woke you from your dream world, didn't it? Was it a dream?" Alex crooned. He seemed intrigued by every reaction on Rose's face, every detail as she delved into her worst memory. "What was it?"

"I - I heard a sound from my house ... "

"What was it?"

"It was a gunshot," Rose whispered, her eyes haunted and misted over, "It - It was so loud and sudden. It scared me."

"What did you do?" Alex seemed to have moved closer to her now.

"I ran inside," Rose continued, "I was so scared to look inside alone, but I had to. I had to find my dad to see if he was okay."

"What did you see, Rose? What did you see?"

"M - My house was wrecked," Rose continued, her eyes lost in memory, her voice almost hypnotized by the soothing, coaxing voice of Alex, "Dinner was on the floor, everywhere. And then ... I saw ... "

Alex smiled at her, his eyes glittering. "What was it, Rose?"

Rose closed her eyes for a brief moment before they opened again, the red flaring somewhat with the pain of memory. "Blood. So much blood. It was everywhere ... " She shuddered slightly. "It ... Everywhere ... I could smell it and taste it in the air ... "

Alex tilted his head. "What happened then?"

"I found him in his study. Someone had shot him in the head. I felt my world crumbling, my very self fading away ... and he was still there, in my house, stealing from me ... I wanted to ... " She trailed off, as if her very shame had stolen her breath. "I wanted to ... "

"What did you want, Rose?" Alex asked.

"I wanted to kill him. I wanted to hurt him so badly. I was a child and I wanted to kill him ... "

"And did you?"

"No ... Not until now."

Alex smiled at her. "And were you satisfied with it?"

Rose shook her head and she seemed distraught, haunted and unsure of her own decisions. Maybe there was a small bit of guilt over what she had done, she didn't know. "I don't know. I don't know," she whispered, her eyes misted over, "I ... I just don't know ... "

Alex stared at her with calm, gentle eyes. "Thank you, Rose."

O

_Note_-The fight soon begins!


	51. Chapter 51: Twilight of the Gods

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Fifty-One: Twilight of the Gods**

_Raccoon City, Colorado_

"We had a deal. Now tell us what we need to know!"

Alex smiled at them both and nodded his head in agreement. "Of course," he replied, "It would be better for all parties involved if I started from the very beginning, to the day that I discovered this ... special gift."

_A much younger Alex sat quietly at his table with rows of books beakers and test tubes surrounding him, buried in his work. His wife walked at his side and she smiled, carefully leaning over to offer him a cup of coffee. He smiled at her and his eyes roved over the tell-tale bump of her abdomen. Oh to be expecting a child was the most exciting thing for a young man and a newly wed husband._

_"How is it coming, honey?" she asked._

_"I am very, very close already." Alex answered, returning his gaze to the papers and mathematical tables. "I can feel that this will be it. Don't worry, my dear. Soon, our son can grow up in a world free of all of this."_

_His wife seemed slightly disturbed by something, but she didn't speak a word of it to him. Instead, she turned and slowly walked back the way that she had come. Alex payed no mind to it._

"My wife approved of everything that I strove to achieve," Alex continued, "Spencer and I both worked together to create the world that ... my son ... would understand and love. And it started with one ... "

Wesker furrowed his brow, the cogs working slowly in his head. Alex continued to pace around the room as he spoke.

"One child was needed for the tests, then another ... and then another ... And finally, it came down to one moment that I would need to use the one and only opportunity that I had right in front of me," Alex continued, "I had to use my own son, still growing, still developing. A baby who would adapt to anything that Spencer and I could offer. A fresh ... open ... and willing mind."

Wesker's brow knotted further and he showed his teeth in a grimace of fury. Behind his glasses, his eyes slowly burned red. "Spencer never took me from you, you handed me to him on a silver platter!"

Alex smiled, unfazed by the accusation. "It was a necessary evil, I'm afraid; to ensure that I had Spencer's complete and utter compliance."

Rose stared at him with an intense look of loathing and curiosity. "And what happened to Wesker's mother?" she asked.

Alex's smile disappeared and he glanced to the side, inhaling once before he spoke. "Hm. Well, it seemed that my wife was not as loyal to my cause as I thought. Such a shame too, she was so young and beautiful; but she was empty of ambition and desire for the future world that I wanted to make for her and my son. She was selfish and shallow. She had to be corrected."

_"Are you fucking insane?"_

_Alex stared at his distraught wife with an empty, calm smile after hearing her reaction to his proposal. There was no love there anymore for the woman that he had wed, no remorse for what had to be done and surely no room for emotions. _

_"It is for the best, Charlotte," Alex told her, "Albert will have the best that society and that blind fool will offer. Don't you want what is best for him? Don't you want to see our son become the shining star of the future?" _

_"By handing him over to be a lab rat? He's my son!"  
_

_Alex grinned at her and shrugged one shoulder. "Half of him, anyway."_

"My wife had a very weak heart," Alex continued, smiling at the horrified audience that he had, "When Albert was taken to Spencer, she stopped fighting everything, stopped caring about herself and for her future. She shut down and it made it so much easier to ... use that to my advantage."

_Alex watched his wife behind a sterile, shatter-proof glass with a smile. She was inside, screaming horribly and tearing at her own flesh with her nails. Her eyes glowed a violent shade of red and her back was lined with spikes and scales. Alex didn't look the least bit deterred by the sight. In fact, he looked rather impressed with his handiwork as she tried to jump at him from behind the glass._

"The very first MA - Hunter handmade from a human being ... "

Wesker looked absolutely furious while Rose could not resist her disgust. "So, I guess it was all the better for her, huh?" she sneered, "I mean, I'd rather go out like that than have a psycho asshole for a husband! You _are_ insane!"

Alex took that insult as he did any: With a grain of salt. He simply chuckled softly. "My dear, I am many things, but insane is not one of them," he replied, "My duty was to the Mission of the World. I warned my wife of the error of her ways, but she would not listen to reason. I did tell her it would end badly should she choose to side against me. It was my duty to the project. My duty to assure that she did not make a foolish error in judgment."

"And what part did I have in this?" Rose demanded.

"You? Oh Rose! You were a part of my plan, not Spencer's. While we both agreed on Project Genesis, what he didn't know was that I had made my own plans. Spencer was blind by selfish ideals. A pure and new world could not have been built on such foundations. I had to step in and take my place once I learned that Spencer wished to create a world in HIS image; this would be the downfall of us all. I couldn't allow for that to happen.

Every experiment, every finance that he had ever granted me was taken away from him in one night. It was simple given my allies that I had at the time. The ones that are lying bleeding at your feet. My mission was to ensure his survival, to locate the source of Eternity. He wanted me to locate and create the very source of eternal life."

"And you found it?" Wesker asked, somewhat intrigued.

Alex nodded. "Oh yes, I found it."

_Alex smiled, delighted with the container in his hand. It was a metallic pill-shaped casing that housed something so extraordinary and valuable to him that he cradled it like it were an infant. He carried it toward a complex-looking machine consisting of wires, tubes and knobs. His subordinates surrounded him eagerly, awed by the contraption in his hands. Alex gave them all a smile._

_"And soon, it will all be yours as well." _

Rose frowned at him. "But you lied."

"Withheld the truth, my dear," Alex informed her, with a smirk, "While I planned on granting them eternal life, I never said that it would be with my own creation. Humanity is flawed and therefore, so are they." He watched the angry, tense and betrayed looks cross the men that lay before him. "But do not worry, my friends. I am a man of my word and eternal life is what you will get."

"How?" Wesker interrupted, "How did you do it?"

"So eager to learn, aren't we Albert ... ?"

_Alex was lying naked on the table, beneath the machine that whirred to life. __Along a row of screens on the machine were the first signs of life readouts, lights, data - - all shifting and collating on the blinking screens. __He closed his eyes calmly and sucked in a sharp breath as several needles slowly stabbed themselves into his throat, arms, legs and sides. He steeled himself for the pain that he knew would be coming. _

"There was pain. Oh ... yes, there was pain ... "

_Alex's back arched in agony and he screamed out loudly for the very dead to hear. Doctors and scientists watched him through the glass of the control panel above, fear and concern written all over their faces. After an entire moment of spasming and twisting on the table, Alex's body finally stilled and his life line immediately followed suit. The doctors rushed out to the room to check his vital signs and open, lifeless eyes._

"According to the medical tests, I died and remained that way for 24 long hours. Darkness took me and I found myself entering the afterlife, the tunnel of eternity as it were. But no! It wasn't so. It was my body, the last of my weak, human body dying, and the cold breath of godhood breathing into me, filling me up, claiming me and resurrecting me. I became what I was meant to be."

_Alex, alive and strengthened by his own creation climbed out from the morgue drawer that encased him. Naked, he staggered to his feet and cast his eyes toward the dim lights overhead. Moaning, he focused onto them until the very color of his once blue eyes seemed to bleed with crimson. The irises slowly narrowed into slits. But the pain...the pain of his new flesh ached in so many ways. _

_"Doctors ... ?" Alex gurgled, his throat roughened from the process of death._

"It took ten long years until I had a full grasp of my capabilities," Alex continued, smiling pleasantly at them, "And to understand that, you must know that the virus takes what it can and gives back in return. It is a mutual bond between me and my dear gift." His eyes landed onto Wesker. "It is a gift, Albert; a gift much like your own. One that you've squandered on selfish endeavors."

"What do you mean, 'takes what it can'?" Rose demanded.

Alex smiled at her and tilted his head with fascination. "What do you believe is the truth, my dear Rose? Thrill me with your acumen."

Rose scowled angrily and looked at Wesker for a brief moment of indication before she clicked both of the hammers back of her pistols. "Fuck this shit!" she shouted, squeezing the triggers.

Bullet after bullet tore into Alex's body, sending splatters of blood flying through the air around him, but he just stood there with a calm smile. After realizing the lack of damage and her mistake, Rose stopped firing her weapons long enough to stare at him in disbelief.

Alex chuckled and he held out a single closed palm to her. When he opened it for the two of them to see, there rested the shells that she had just fired at him and he dumped them to the floor. Rose's pistols slipped from her hands and joined the shells that she had fired. Alex slowly approached the two, obvious menace in his steps. His smile slowly began to disappear as he drew closer and closer.

"I can see that we will waste no time talking, then." he said, his voice dropping a register.

His hands shot out and he took them both by the throat, lifting them off of their feet and carrying them toward a two - way mirror. With a chuckle, his brows went up and he leaned forward.

"Au revior!"

And with that, he tossed them both through the mirror.

O

Wesker had never felt that human helplessness before in so long, it was almost frightening. To have someone physically surpass you was not only demeaning, but disturbing to him as well. This man who called himself his father was truly a nemesis. He had never had such a feeling when he dealt with Chris before either. He had to know what made this man tick, what caused such strength.

Alex stared down at them from afar. It was obvious that the room was some form of observation deck and where Rose and Wesker had landed looked to be an arena of some kind. A large fan whirred behind them, pumping in oxygen. He smiled at them before leaping from the shattered window, scaling down the length of the walls like a spider. He landed onto two feet and clenched his hands into tight fists, inhaling deeply.

"That is a mistake that many of my enemies tend to make, Albert," he told his son, "They will always act before they think."

Rose and Wesker stood up and faced him, their bodies tensed for a fight. Alex's eyes slowly drifted and landed to Rose.

"I can help you, Rose, " he told her, "Ignore my brash son and the things that he has taught you. The cruel selfishness that he had been forced to listen to by that fool Spencer has made him blind to the greater concerns. I can give you what you want."

Rose scowled at him. "You'll never know what I want ... "

And yet, despite what she had just said, Alex could see her face registering every word of his reply, every nuance, every promise that he made to her. She was stirring, the child. She was curious. Nothing could hide that from him. "Oh? Nothing at all? I know what you want, Rose. Respect. Power ... And maybe, your," His face changed into Dahlia's and his voice as well. "Mother?"

Rose's eyes snapped wide with horror at the sight. Then, it quickly morphed into an expression of pure rage, tears stinging her eyes and she shouted out her fury, surging toward him with murderous intent. Alex was waiting for that. He grinned and seized her fist, just as she had thrown out a punch, twisted and she gave a cry of pain and fury, throwing out her other fist in a desperate attempt to hurt him.

"Oh! Is that any way to treat your mother?" he sneered.

Wesker suddenly appeared to the side and Alex smirked, sensing this before he could throw out his elbow. He took Rose and flung her aside just as fast, catching Wesker's elbow with his own. For the moment, both father and son met each others' gazes. One cold and pitiless while the other remained hidden. Alex actually smiled cheerfully and studied Wesker with a tilt of his head.

"Son, why must you hide what you are?" he asked.

Before Wesker could respond to that, Alex's hand came up and seized the glasses off of his face, crushing them instantly. Wesker recoiled furiously. "How dare you!" he spat, with icy venom.

"No. _How dare you_ hide what you are, boy?" Alex hissed, grabbing Wesker by the head and flipping him over. Wesker swung his legs to the left to snap at Alex's hand, but he simply caught them and pinned him to the floor.

"I do not hide a thing!" Wesker shouted, up at him.

He wrapped his legs around Alex's waist and tossed him from his back. As soon as Alex went flying, he pressed both of his hands onto the ground and performed a graceful flip back to his feet. Alex straightened at the sight of the two surging for him again.

_Spirited. Oh that's very good indeed!_

Rose threw fist after fist at Alex, who blocked with his left arm and Wesker came at him from the right, which he blocked as well with his right arm. He quickly swept out his leg, tripping Rose and he grabbed Wesker's arm, flipping him onto his back with ease. Watching the growling, shamed figures rise, he decided to worm them down a few notches by revealing the truth.

"Do you know what role Mr. Melbourne and Mr. Head played in this ... experiment?" he asked them, "Craig Melbourne came to me after siding along with Spencer, a ... double agent more or less. He wanted to take part in my...private affairs. He enlisted Mr. Head to help. I placed it upon themselves to make certain that you suspected nothing until the appropriate time. They performed their ruse with flying colors. It was Craig that I had become concerned with toward his last living days."

"Why's that?" Rose grunted, her brow arched sarcastically.

Alex's brow knotted and he shook his head with pity. "He faltered at the sight of Albert," he answered for her, "And ... he used such distasteful measures to make certain that you would comply. What a pity. I certainly would not have had that happen to you."

"You're too kind ... "

"Everything that you have ever endured up until this point was a test, Rose," Alex continued, "For you and Albert. Every single obstacle was created by me, save for the alligator in the river, but it did work to my advantage. I manipulated the radio signal which allowed for you and Todd to meet - - your father's killer - - so that I may bear witness to the beautiful emotion that you displayed that day. And when the very human beings who had saved your life, took you in and then turned on you... Oh it was such a shame to see those hypocritical creatures slander you in such a way."

Wesker clenched his teeth with fury. "You were behind everything?"

"I was, son. Every single thing. I granted Frank the G virus which allowed for him to mortally wound Rose. Frank knew what had to be done - - Oh, why do you look so surprised? Do you think that Frank was loyal to you, Rose? He was my most faithful of comrades. He wanted to live forever, he wanted the immortality that came with the sacrifice of his own humanity. I knew that Rose's self - sacrifice would hurt her, I knew that Albert would save her with the use of his own blood. Everything was working out as planned. The chips that were placed into Rose's body were also a part of my test. I wanted to see how strong her mental will was, how well she could resist the machines. But it wasn't her own will that saved her, it was the love and companionship of her friends. Such a mundane thing, but it worked regardless.

The two of you believed that your meeting was coincidence and your ... consummation was just a mere fling? No. I knew that the virus flowing through your veins would call to the two of you. Rose's desire and Albert's need to dominate... It worked out so well. But when Albert claimed that he didn't want the child, I'll admit that I was appalled by such a proclamation. But then, something changed. Rose somehow managed to delve through my son's stubborn ways and find a certain ... understanding. The two of you ... perfect opposites ... coming together to create the unity that I was striving for in this world!"

"Who asked you anyway?" Rose spat.

"Sometimes we must act in a way that is best for everyone, Rose," Alex told her, "You have just learned that lesson not so long ago, haven't you? Oh...I understand. It must have been hard for you to take the life of your mother. You never knew one another, but I knew that the bond between a mother and her child could never be severed. In fact, I was counting on it! To kill her meant that you had nothing more to lose!"

Rose and Wesker had taken cover behind pillars while Alex looked around for them. He smirked dryly.

"You're so ambitious, aren't you, my children?" he called, to them, "You see a lot, the two of you, no doubt from experience. But are you strong enough to point that high - powered perception at yourself?"

Wesker gestured from across the room for Rose to continue to speak to Alex, hopefully distract him so that he could make his move and end this before it could get even more out of hand. Rose nodded her acknowledgement and called out to the man from her hiding spot.

"What about it?" she shouted.

Alex smiled thoughtfully. "Why don't you look at yourself?" he suggested, "Why don't you find your true being as you stand in that room of mirrors seeing every lie and every mask you wear?"

Wesker moved silently, stealthily behind Alex, carefully drawing his knife from his boot.

"It is such a shame, Rose," Alex continued, "I had hoped that you would see the truth for yourself. But ... I suppose that you wouldn't be the first person I would have to teach a lesson to."

Wesker raised his knife and plunged it into Alex's back, stabbing into the vulnerable organ that he knew beat blood and life into him. The man's entire frame jolted roughly and his eyes snapped wide; he seemed to have been surprised by Wesker's jump attack. His mouth fell open in a sharp gasp of pain; Wesker wrapped his arm around his throat and brought his lips to Alex's ear.

"Die!" he hissed.

And then, he cracked Alex's neck with ease, snapping the vertebrae like they were mere tinker toys. Rose flinched at the horrible bubbling sound and slowly climbed up from her hiding spot. She stared down at Alex's lifeless body with Wesker. The man's tongue was hanging out of his parted lips and it looked disgusting. A pool of blood began to form around his corpse.

"Is he dead?" Rose wondered.

Wesker smiled slightly. "They never are."

He pressed his boot into Alex's face and slammed the heel down hard, splitting his skull like a coconut which exposed gooey, red brain tissue and veins. Satisfied with the lack of movement, Wesker turned to go and Rose followed suit. They laughed softly to one another, relieved by their victory. It had been more quick than they thought and so much easier as well. Nothing could heal from a damaged brain and heart, they were certain of that.

"Heh. So much for that. He wasn't so bad ass after all," Rose said, "I guess it's true what they say: you can't ever really heal a broken heart." She chuckled softly at her own terribly placed joke.

"Soooo true ... "

The two froze immediately in their spots and their eyes went wide in disbelief. They slowly turned and Alex was rising to his feet in a painful and broken manner. He grabbed both sides of his head and cracked it several ways, moving the bones back into their proper place. The split in his skull began to stitch its way back together in a sickening display of regeneration. He smiled at their horrified expressions, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth. He took a step forward, but paused and reached behind his back, wincing and yanking out the knife.

"Well, I suppose that would be true in my case, Rose," he said, studying the blade, "If I had a heart to begin with."

He flung the knife aside and it clattered to the floor.

"Have you not listened to anything that I have said, Albert? You cannot kill me."

Wesker and Rose backed away as Alex advanced. "So what are you going to do, then?" Rose demanded, "You're not a fucking god! You think that we were put on this earth just to serve you?"

Alex's brows arched. "Serve me? Oh no, my dear. You were both put on this earth to serve my plans."

"I'd hate to break it to you, but we have other plans," Wesker sneered.

Alex brightened and he seemed more than happy with that response. "Then let's not keep you waiting for much longer."

He charged for them.

Rose and Wesker made every attempt to flank Alex and surpass him in strength or skills, hoping and relying on their superhuman abilities and their numbers, but it seemed that every action that they threw at him was countered by his quick acting and martial arts. Alex was a foe like no other; he was not like Spencer in any way. He did not monologue in arrogance or stop to breathe.

Wesker lunged at him in a full-force tackle and the two were hurtled into a pillar at such a high speed, it looked like a gigantic human bowling ball of flailing limbs. The impact caused the pillar to collapse and rain plaster down onto the two combatants. Rose watched with shock and they climbed from the rubble; Wesker looked pissed and Alex looked absolutely delighted.

"We're both professionals. But I'm afraid that there can be only one Wesker ruling this world. You ... are done." Wesker hissed.

He drove his elbow into Alex's face which for some strange reason, he allowed for himself to receive. Wesker prepared to follow up with another blow, obviously empowered by his success, but Alex recovered and with a spinning karate kick slammed Wesker back to the floor. He loomed over his son with a smile.

"Aren't you proud of your father, son?" he sneered, "Don't you find it so magnificent that I can be anyone in the entire world? I can be a dear friend," He morphed his face into William Birkin's, speaking in his voice, "A dear, dear friend whom you've shared such a marvelous past with. Or I can be," He morphed his features again and this time, he was wearing Chris' face and speaking in his voice, "your greatest enemy."

Wesker didn't take the bait the way Rose had; he was not so easily influenced by mere trickery. Then, when he jumped to his feet and actually _did _charge, it was actually unexpected. The two men continued to fight brutally and Rose followed into it, Wesker and Alex both brought years of their martial artist training in and Rose - - being much of a novice - - fought based on her own instincts; her moves were more wild and blind, intent only to wound as much as she possibly could. She was driven by a more personal force than Wesker was because of her fallen mother and father. She wanted to kill like no other.

Rose made an attempt to drive her fist into Alex's throat in a killing blow, but he twisted free from Wesker's assault, slamming an elbow into her kidney before she could even make a move. Rose groaned and lurched forward and that was when Alex slammed his heel into the side of her head, sending her toppling to the floor in a flurry of limbs. He smiled and circled her with a new form of respect.

"I like you, Rose," he said, softly, "I understand you. You want to dominate like Albert. You hate me and want to take my place as ruler of this world, don't you? I can give it all to you, Rose. Simply ask for it and it is all yours, everything that you could ever have wanted ... at your very fingertips. Resist and you will lose what precious friendship still thrives among the others."

"Never!" Rose spat.

"Do you know what your poor friend did before I purified his very body?" Alex continued, as if she hadn't even said a word, "He wept. He begged and pleaded with me like a terrified child." His voice increased to a bizarre falsetto. "'Please, please ... I don't want this' ... "

"What are you talk ... " Rose trailed off in mid rant and realization began to spark in her eyes. "No ... " She shook her head rapidly, trying to deny it all that she wanted, but in truth, the result was still the same. "No. No, you didn't ... No! NO!" Tears prickled the corners of her eyes and she practically screamed at the top of her lungs. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?"

Alex laughed loudly with pleasure, leaning his head back.

Rose screamed in anguish and covered her eyes with tight, trembling fists. Wesker raised a hand to her in warning, knowing full well that Alex was baiting them on with his actions and words. "Rose, don't!" he whispered, harshly at the corner of her ear, "He wants you to lose your will and rush blindly! He's feigning you. Jonas is probably fine. Don't let him do this to yo ... "

Rose didn't hear him or really, she heard nothing anymore. She screamed with rage and sorrow, charging for Alex like an angry rhino with tears and saliva streaming from her. He grabbed her around the waist and immediately drove his fist into her stomach, choking her air supply off and he kicked her in the face which sent her to the floor. Wesker charged almost immediately and Alex kicked him in the face with a wicked spinning kick and Wesker was down.

Alex cocked his head down at Rose as she choked on her own blood that dripped down her nose. He smiled gently and shook his head before reaching down and wiping her nose of the blood.

"Would you like to know the secret of pain, Rose?" he whispered, "Once you no longer feel it then it becomes that much easier to use it."

O

_Note_- Arg! This story will not end!


	52. Chapter 52: End of Days

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Chapter Fifty-Two: End of Days**

_Raccoon City, Colorado_

Krauser and Beth were having the worst possible time.

"Goddamn it, the fucker just won't go down!" Krauser shouted.

"He's too strong!" Beth cried.

The monster swung its claws wildly; a blind gesture meant only in an attempt to kill them, slashing tubes and pipes that sent steam flying through the air. Ribbons of electricity wound themselves through the air and ignighted gasoline tubes ripped from its assault. Krauser and Beth ducked from the jets of flame, narrowly missing being burned from them. They backed away and looked around for the sight of the creature, but it seemed to have disappeared in the wild onslaught.

"Shit! Where'd he go?" Krauser demanded, looking around.

Beth looked up and her eyes went wide. "LOOK OUT!"

Krauser looked up with her and spotted the monster diving right for them; it had jumped clear over the jets of flame. The two rushed in opposite directions to avoid being crushed as it came down in a thunderous tremble. Beth had rolled out of the way and she looked up in shock as the G monster grabbed Krauser by one arm and lifted him over the gaping maw in its abdomen. The teeth glittered with saliva, the eyes rolled around wetly and the monster seemed to grin at the wriggling, kicking man in its clutches. Krauser swung his leg and his foot chipped one of the many teeth, but it only drew a small grunt from the creature.

"Come on, Large Marge!" Krauser taunted, despite his weakening strength. He seemed as cocky as ever given the fact that he was soon to be eaten, "Come on and take a big bite outta this!"

That spurred the G creature and it slowly began to lower Krauser toward the teeth in its abdomen.

Beth shook her head rapidly, her voice driven high in desperation and horror. "Jonas _NO!_" she screamed.

The creature instantly froze at the scream and slowly looked over at her. It's black, soulless eyes leered down into her own, to her very depths, chilling it to the barest of bones. Beth felt as if she were standing in a snowdrift at the very gaze. It's jaws opened and closed and soft hissing sounds rumbled from its vibrant chest. What was it thinking about if it was thinking at all? She couldn't let whatever was left of her friend die now.

"Please, Jonas!" Beth begged, tears threatening to burst from her, "Please, don't do it!"

The creature looked down at Krauser and it seemed to actually consider Beth's request. Its claws carefully opened and it dropped him to the floor. Krauser grunted sharply with pain, landing directly onto his arm. He quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the monster before it could reconsider taking a bite out of him. It lumbered toward Beth with mechanical grace, casually, soft and less-menacing growls filling the air. Beth trembled and scooted as far back from it as she could as it lowered its head down to her.

Beth met the gaze of the monster that stared down at her. Slowly, it began to reach out with its gigantic claws, but froze, inches over Beth's face. She winced somewhat as the tips of its claws grazes her cheek. When she felt them pull away, she looked up and noticed that this thing was stepping back from her, strange, tortured moans escaping its lips. It gave a frustrated roar and reached over with its smaller hand to pull back the arm.

_"No ... No! B - Beth! ... "_ Jonas' demonically blended voice burst forth, _"No ... I don't want to hurt you ... NO!"_

"Jonas!" Beth cried, up at him.

"Jesus ... " Krauser whispered, haunted by the sight.

Krauser and Beth watched in shock as it began to brutally rend its own gigantic arm with its other claws, slicing through leathery flesh, tearing at it it in a desperate attempt to stop itself from killing Beth. It even clawed at its own face, ripping bits of flesh clear off of its bones. Sorrowful, wounded howls emitted from its jaws and Jonas' voice was barely heard in between the cries.

_"No ... please! I can't!" _it screamed, a terrible, haunting moan, _"I can't! No! D - Don't! Please! Please, please, please ... "_

Beth swallowed sharply, watching the torment her friend was enduring inside this mutation of a creature. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes and she listened to the strange, sobbing sound the creature seemed to make.

_"No ... please! Beth ... can't ... hurt ... " _it moaned. _"NO! NO!"_

Krauser rushed to Beth's side while the monster struggled with itself. They backed away as it straightened up and cast its gaze below the stairs, toward the humming, crackling power core. It seemed to ponder something before looking back at them. Beth could not read what it might have been thinking about, but she could barely see a faint glimmer of Jonas left in its eyes.

"Jonas?" she whispered, terrified.

The monster wheezed heavily once and there it was. The humanity. There was Jonas' smile and every bit of love that he had for the woman and could never tell her. Everything was laid bare before her. _"Beth ..." _it gurgled, _"Run ... "_

Finally, it dropped itself off of the edge of the platform with a bellowing roar. Beth jumped to her feet with a shriek and rushed toward the edge, watching as Jonas' monstrous body plunged below, crashing into the power core, sending sparks shooting wildly through the air. Beth ducked as a single explosion to her left nearly singed her face off. Krauser grabbed her wrist before she could become hit with another one.

"We gotta get out of here!" he shouted, as the entire tower began to rock wildly.

Beth sobbed bitterly, sick with loss and fright and she found the strength to do as he said. Groaning, she followed Krauser out of the room as it began to spark wildly with electricity and flames. The disrupted power core was going haywire, bursting pipes and wires behind them.

Inside the arena, Alex, Rose and Wesker felt the shuddering impacts pf the disrupted power core beneath their feet and they were swayed somewhat where they stood. Alex furrowed his brow with confusion and he looked up toward the observation deck as a single soldier rushed up to the shattered glass, breathless and frantic.

"SIR!" he shouted, "The main power core's gone critical! This whole place is going to go!"

"What?" Wesker, Rose and Alex cried, simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Chris and the others were looking around wildly as the building rocked wildly around them. Ivan and Claire nearly collided into Chris and Jill and they rushed passed him, panting.

"We gotta go, like, now!" Claire shouted.

"Wait! What about Rose and Wesker?" Jill asked.

"They're strong!" Chris told her, "They can get out!"

Beth and Krauser nearly made it to the main lobby before Beth stopped and quickly activated her COM-link to get in contact with Rose. "Rose? Rose! Are you there?" She struggled to make her voice as powerful as she could. "Goddamn it, answer me!"

Rose could hear her on her side as plain as day. She smiled and tapped the end of her link. "Beth, you have to get out of here. This whole place is going to go up. Get out with the others while you still can. We have something to take care of here."

"_What? No ... No, no, no, no! No, you can't! You're going to get out of here with the rest of us! I won't lose you too! I can't lose you! I won't ..._ " Her voice trailed off into sorrowful sobbing sounds and Rose painfully listened to Krauser's carefully placed murmur of pity and distress in the background. It was terrible to do this to her and she felt nothing but pain, but it had to be done.

It occurred to Rose now at that precise moment. After so many years of suffering mental trauma, her own personal loneliness; Beth had always been there for her in the end. Rose had always needed her the most. But the simple action in her friend, her voice and her words told Rose that Beth needed her a little bit more than she did. It was the writing on the wall but Rose wouldn't see her die for this.

"Beth, do you remember what you told me before? You told me that everything's going to be alright. Well, that's what I'm telling you," she told her friend, resolute and calm in her words, "Run now while you can. We'll be fine. I promise."

"_No! Rose, don't - !_"

Rose cut off the link before she could finish her sentence and looked at Wesker. He seemed surprised by her move and he looked at her with a strange look of respect for the very first time. She smiled at him and he smiled carefully back. Then, the two turned to Alex, who chuckled softly at the sentimentality.

"Oh, how sweet," he hissed, "Sacrificing your life to save friends, strangers. So noble, Rose .. ."

Wesker took a menacing step forward. "Only one of us will get out of here," he told the man, "And that will be me ... " He seemed to hesitate before he added then with a little more conviction this time, " ... with Rose by my side."

Rose glanced over at him, astounded by the announcement. Alex simply sneered at it, as if the idea was nothing more than mere fantasy to him. How could they hope to destroy him? He was a God.

"Oh please ... "

Wesker and Rose stood in a fighting stance, prepared to fight to the bitter end if they had to. "The monsters you have created have returned, to kill you ... father." Wesker hissed, cracking his knuckles.

Alex raised a single brow and contradicted his son, his eyes seemingly flickering. "Monster? Oh ... no, my son. You have no idea what a true monster is!"

Suddenly, he tossed his head back and his eyes seemed to glow with bright red light. A low, bestial snarling sound echoed out of him. His jacket ripped at the spine as muscle and tissue began to sprout from his back. His fingers lengthened into long, sharp claws and his knees snapped forcefully back. Wesker and Rose backed away in confusion as Alex began to change. But it was unlike anything that they had ever seen yet.

Alex's jaw lengthened and sharp teeth shot out from his gums. From his back emerged raw muscle and spikes that seemed to bend and form into enormous, leathery wings rippling with veins and muscular flesh. His yellow hair seemed to lengthen down his spine toward a tipped tail-like protrusion that emerged right behind it. His arms and legs bulges with raw muscle and power and his face morphed into something more feral and beastly.

"Shit!" Rose gasped, as the thing loomed over them.

Alex now resembled a primordial, demonic angel, hovering over them. His wings beat against his back and he raised his claws toward his cheek, speaking in a horrible, garbled voice blended with another.

_"Now my son ... Your final lesson is at hand!"_

O_  
_

Chris and the remaining convoy team were running up the length of stairs that would lead them outside.

All around them the walls were shaking and pipes were bursting, sending small jets of flame right at them. Ivan gave a small grunt and shielded Claire from one of the jets before she would be singed from it. She looked up at him and he smiled casually, shaking the flame that had caught his hand on fire. It didn't seem to bother him at all as much as it would have seeing his treasure on fire.

"Don't want you to burn." he said.

There was something sensual in his words that Claire missed, but Leon caught easily. His eyes flared with fury as much as the fires did as they continued to the surface. Once they emerged into the cold night, they quickly sprinted through the city for their vehicles. It was unclear how much damage the explosion would cause or how far its range would be, but they weren't taking any chances.

"Chris!" Beth shouted, once they arrived at their designated transportation, "Talk some sense into Rose! She won't listen to me!"

Chris stopped at his truck and looked back at her. "I can't! I can't talk anything into those two!"

Beth grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and slammed him against the truck, startling the others. She glared up at him with her tear-streaked face. "You'd better do something!" she spat, at him, "I just lost one person I loved, I'm not losing another!"

Krauser looked at her, startled.

Chris raised two hands in a placating gesture to calm her down. "Look, I'll - I'll try something," he answered, solemnly, "But you can't persuade Wesker to really do anything for you. What's done is done and what he chooses is final."

"I don't give a shit if you have to threaten them both!" Beth nearly screamed, "You get them out of there right now!"

An explosion from the tower jolted everyone where they stood. They watched in shock and horror as the tower slowly started to collapse in the distance like a domino. It collided with another building, shooting up dust and a ball of flame. Krauser cringed with pity and regret while Beth started crying. Claire lowered her head and Ivan did the same, placing a hand on her shoulder. Chris watched the explosions in the distance with a frown on his face. A part of him wanted Rose to get out alive. Wesker? Wesker was too arrogant to go out like this. He survived the incident in Africa. He could survive this.

But would he want that? For the first time since his feud with Albert Wesker had started, Chris almost - ALMOST - felt a glimmer of doubt about it now. Rose had done something to Wesker. Changed him? Certainly not. Molded him anew? Maybe.

Inside the base of Eden, Rose and Wesker were doing everything that they could to take out Alex. But with his new form and hovering at impossible heights, it became very difficult for them.

Alex hissed and swooped down, slamming his weight into Wesker. His talons locked firmly around Wesker's throat and he lifted him off of the floor, leering down at him with those horrible eyes.

_"So long ago ... They've taught you everything that made you what you are; you have been taught many ways to kill a man ... Albert," _he whispered, in that monstrous voice, "_The flesh...it burns and tears; the bones break and shatter. All of this can be taught by a common man. Oh ... but to break a man's spirit, is to truly destroy him!" _He leaned forward and brought his dripping jaws closer to Wesker's ear. _"Tell me ... Where does a man like YOU hurt the most?"_

Suddenly, Rose leapt onto Alex's furry back and he shrieked furiously, tossing Wesker aside and spinning through the air in a flurry of limbs and wings. Rose grabbed them in both hands and grunted with effort.

"Aww, Alex," she sneered, in a mock sweet voice in his ear, "I remember when you used to hold my hand when I was getting my injections in your office." She pursed her lips and spoke with determination now. "I didn't like it then, either!"

She yanked Alex's wings back, snapping them and the lack of a span sent him falling to the ground. Before he contacted the floor, he spun around and flung Rose beneath him, forcing her into a wicked impact crater, and in an instant, Alex lowered a small stinger from his tail. Rose struggled beneath his weight and had no time to react; as she opens her mouth to let out a yell, Alex stabbed her in the chest, and no noise comes from her lips. The look of shock on her face was soon replaced by a limp and deadened look, and foam fills her mouth. She immediately fell limp in his clutches and Wesker snarled venomously.

"Let her go, you wretched dog!" he spat.

Alex smirked at him before dropping the lifeless Rose to the floor. Wesker moved to go to her, but Alex shook his head. _"Do not worry, she is not dead ... Rose is simply out of commission for the moment. I wanted to speak with you."_

"Really?" Wesker sneered, pacing around the monster while Alex followed suit, "What more can you speak to me?"

Alex's eyes landed on Rose before he smiled at his son. _"You cannot save them, Albert, no matter what it is you plan to do; you gave them up in your quest for ultimate power. There is a price to pay for everything that you gain. Always."_

"Come and let's finish it!" Wesker hissed.

Wesker charged and Alex surged forward. Wesker slashed at Alex's legs before he could take flight, but Alex continued forward, undeterred, attacking with those sharp talons and still deadly martial arts. One of his strikes sent Wesker flying through the air. He recovered by grabbing one of the pillars that was still intact and performed a spinning flip through the air and returned back to Alex, kicking him hard in the stomach.

Alex reached out and grabbed Wesker's arm, but he retaliated and grabbed him right back. Both fell from the air and hit the ground, hard. Alex climbed to his feet and shook the shards of rubble from his body.

_"You were being used, my son," _he said, _"I escaped from those chains and you can too." _He turned and gestured to himself. _"I control this form unlike no other. Spencer could never have done what I have done under such blind influences." _

Wesker glanced at him up and down with a sneer. "Heh. What a wretched state you've come to," he responded, "Tell me _father, _you are a reasonable man, am I right?"

_"You are."_

"Then in what way does attempting to enslave your son and his companion fall into that category?" Wesker asked, with a mocking look, "Come to think of it, I have killed many men who claimed to have been nothing but reasonable. I think Spencer was among one of those men."

Alex's smile disappeared. _"I am nothing like him."_

Wesker chuckled softly. "Oh I don't know about that," he argued, "There are definitely similarities there somewhere. The same arrogance, the same blind devotion to himself and no others ... Why, you're practically brothers!"

Alex pointed a clawed finger at Wesker. _"Speak ignorantly as much as you'd like, boy. You are a by - product of Spencer's design. That is my one and only regret that you had to become raised under his thumb. But he did teach you one thing: Take no prisoners, make no enemies but destroy them. You became the symbol of the world that I had always hoped you'd be." _He inhaled and spoke, almost as if he seemed disappointed. _"But you hold faithless hope in your victory over me, child. I am everything that you can ever hope to become and more."_

Wesker arched a single brow. "And what do you have faith in?"

_"Nothing. I am so very ... very ... empty."_

Wesker smiled at him now. "Then I suppose it wouldn't hurt you to die."

Another explosion rocked the entire tower and jarred the arena where Alex and Wesker fought. A blast took out the bars in front of the massive, whirring fan and sent it scattering across the floor. Wesker watched as the bars collapsed and his eyes slowly looked over at the fan blades. He looked up at Alex who was swooping down at him, that devious, clever smirk on his face.

Wesker rolled out of the way and Alex swooped down again, catching Wesker by the back of his head and carrying him high, toward the whirring fan. He smirked at his son and slowly carried him toward the blades. Alex had known of his plan to use the fan to his advantage the entire time. He was always one step ahead and knew everything that Wesker could ever plan up.

Or did he?

_"It is a pity that it has come to this, son," _he said, _"__You should have joined me, Albert! You should have been stronger!"_

Wesker glanced down at the unconscious Rose and suddenly, he smiled, getting an idea. Alex knew him based on everything he had ever been taught. He knew that he would try to surpass him with the old ways of his. But did he know any of Rose's NEW tactics?

The two drew closer to the fan and Alex's barb slowly began to inch its way toward Wesker's back. His voice sounded soothing and piteous all at once. There was no intention to kill Wesker, rather disable him.

_"You won't feel a thing, I promise you ... "_

Wesker smiled back at him. "I wish that I could say the same for you."

Alex frowned angrily and plunged the stinger deep into Wesker's back. He grunted sharply with pain, immediately feeling the drug-effect taking hold, but with his last ounce of strength, he spun around in Alex's claws, grabbed the bard before it could slide back into Alex's flesh and he smirked up at him before stabbing him with his own weapon. Alex's eyes snapped wide in disbelief and he slowly drifted back down to the floor, bits of foam filling his mouth.

Wesker grinned and grabbed him by the throat, taking one powerful lunge with the remaining strength that he had and brought Alex's head toward the giant fan, standing gracefully onto the platform that passed beside the rotating blades. Alexs grimaced somewhat before he met Wesker's eyes. There was a look of sadness there; pity, and for once, maybe even a glimmer of weakness.

_"I only wanted ... to make you into a ... God ... " _he choked.

Wesker smiled at him and foam began to trickle down the corners of his mouth. He ignored the weakness that he was feeling in his legs and brought his head close to Alex's. "You succeeded."

Finally, he thrust Alex into the fan's blades and watched as he was literally shredded alive, into many tiny, chunky pieces that flew everywhere. Blood sprayed like a jet stream in various different directions and Wesker watched solemnly at the scene. His brows slowly went up as the fan skidded to a squealing halt from the interference of the body being thrown directly into it.

"Oh! And happy Father's Day ... " he said, softly.

Explosions rang out all around him. Wesker inhaled deeply, closed his eyes and fell from the platform, slamming into the floor closest to Rose. His vision began to fail him, if only for a short while. He smiled to himself, though, thinking about how he had defeated a man who claimed to have been God himself. There was no more to stop him from his true goal now, no enemies worthy to call themselves such. He was the God of this world. No man could claim to have survived what he had and say the same.

Rose groaned softly and stirred alongside him. Despite the fires and explosions, Wesker seemed calm through it all. He reached over to her with one hand.

"Rose ... come here ... " he whispered.

Rose barely acknowledged and dragged her still-weakened body toward him. He smiled at her and slowly, carefully placed an arm around her shoulders. Both super humans watched the blazing hot flames surging right for them.

"You did it?" Rose asked, weakly.

"It is done..." Wesker answered.

Rose barely lifted her half - lidded eyes up to him. "I guess this is going to hurt a good bit, huh?" she managed to joke.

He actually smiled at that. "Yes."

Rose closed her eyes and he followed suit. They were prepared for the pain that they would have to endure from this whole thing, but at the same time, things would become easier in the future for them both. They knew that.

"Wesker?" Rose said.

"Hm?"

"I love you."

The explosions of flame and debris echoed around them, blocking out the heartfelt words and obliterating evidence of the entire facility of Eden itself in a final collection of eruptions and bursts.

O

_Note_-So sweet, eh? Well, stay tuned because one more final chap to go! I appreciate every review I have ever received and every single one of your opinions brought me a simple bit of joy as I read them. Thank you all for your continued support!


	53. Epilogue: Respective Ways

**Resident Evil: Code Genesis**

**Disclaimer:** For once in a while, I'm writing this for two of the greatest Albert Wesker fans I've met: Wesker's Countess and Madam Wesker of DeviantArt. All three of us wish for a sequel where Wesker returns. Honestly, is it Resident Evil without the guy? He MADE the series. I can accept his death, but I don't have to like it. So, for your reading pleasure, I create a story featuring his utter return. This is for fans, not to be taken too literally. The song here at the end is "Before I'm Dead" by Kidney Thieves.

"_Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix."_

-Christina Baldwin

"_Life, death, and rebirth are inevitable."_

-Rig Veda

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

"_Sure I'm not human anymore! But LOOK at the power I've obtained!"_

-Wesker, Code Veronica

**Epilogue~ Respective Ways**

_20 Years Later_

_Oklahoma_

A black Hummer rode casually down the snow-covered, silent streets of the Oklahoma City, driven by Krauser, who was dressed in black leather and sunglasses. He smiled and cast a glance in his rear view mirror, to where Rose was sitting with a laptop in her lap.

"So ... you really ready, huh?" he said.

Rose smiled and nodded her head. She looked down at the laptop screen and Wesker's face looked right back at her through the means of a video conversation. He looked somewhat irritated.

_"She has your charm, Rose,"_ Wesker said, _"Today she mouthed off to me over a simple glass of soda."_

Rose smiled, half - sarcastic and half - amused. "Oh come on, Wesker," she teased, "I can't take all of the credit, you know that. What about the time when I told her to to clean up her room and she gave me one of your infamous 'you're shitting me' looks."

Wesker rolled his eyes. _"Real adorable ... "_

Rose looked up at Krauser as they hit the highway toward the outskirts of the city. "Hey, when we get there, keep it warm and just wait outside," she told him, "There's a large pizza in it for you with extra cheese later on when we head home."

Krauser grinned broadly. "Beer?" he questioned.

"Light Beer."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, almost as if he wanted to argue with that before he smiled at her and nodded. "Deal."

The Hummer continued its journey down the highway until it arrived at a dark, secluded house with knick - knacks and various objects littering the yard, covered with ice and snow. The walls and windows looked filthy and unkempt. A dog was resting there comfortably on the front porch and its ears pricked up at the sound of the vehicle pulling into the driveway. It bared its teeth and snarled at the intruder walking up the front path.

Rose held out two hands and gently coaxed the dog to eventually come to her. It made a passive grumbling sound and lowered its head, grudgingly allowing for her to pet it. She was no threat, the dog could somehow sense that.

"Hey, is she home?" Rose whispered, to the animal.

Rose noticed that the screen door was closed and the front door was wide open. Someone was home and leaving their door open in this weather? Rose carefully knocked on the side of the door and stood there, waiting for the owner of the house to acknowledge.

"Who the hell is out there?"

The feminine voice was laced with age and anger. Rose flinched somewhat as a shape lumbered toward the front door, wielding a double - barrel shotgun tightly in hand. When the figure eventually entered the light, Rose's very heart sank.

"You think I won't shoot the white off of a bitch?" the figure spat, "Steal any of my shit and you're dead!"

This was her? This was the very friend that she had abandoned all of these years. Her eyes ... they were white and lifeless, staring perpetually up toward the sky with evidence of brutal scarring around them. She was blind through unnatural means and whatever it was must have blown up in her face. Through the age, wrinkles and the faint scars, Rose could never forget this woman. No. She could never forget her dearest of friends.

"Who's there?" the woman demanded, venomously.

Rose found her voice. "Beth?"

The old woman standing there suddenly looked frightened, haunted even. "Wh - Who ... ?" she gasped, "Rose? Is - Is that really you?"

Rose smiled painfully and tears began to streak down her face. "Yes, it's me."

Beth's shotgun fell from her hands and she slowly, cautiously opened the screen door, reaching out with two hands to find the woman behind the voice, to see if she was really hearing her and not dreaming.

Rose helped her by leaning into her hands and allowing for Beth to "see" her with them. There was a deep look of focus on the old woman's face, but after a moment of touching and "seeing", she knew that Rose was real, standing right here in front of her.

"Oh God ... it is you!" Beth gasped, her voice a low, choking whisper that spoke of her tears threatening to come forth.

Rose smiled. "Yes, Beth, I'm here."

Beth's arms immediately went around Rose before the woman could register it. She wrapped her arms around Beth's smaller, weaker body and the two spent several minutes holding one another. Beth was weeping quietly against her arm while Rose squeezed her eyes shut tightly, a mixture of pain and sorrow filling her. Beth pulled away and touched Rose's cheeks once more.

"Look at you!" she whispered, between her sniffling, "You - You haven't aged a day!"

Rose chuckled softly.

Beth's smile slowly disappeared. "Age has been a real bitch to me. I ain't as young as I used to be."

Rose laughed and shook her head. "You're still that same crazy bitch I knew twenty years ago."

Beth could only laughed quietly at that. She glanced down and felt around for her dog, grasping the thick chain that held him to the porch. "I hope he didn't bite you too hard. He hates strangers."

"No. Not at all."

Beth was quiet for a long time before she spoke and her voice was low with a hidden bitterness to it. "Why did you leave?"

"I had to, Beth," Rose told her, gently; there was regret in her voice, "After Alex's fall, you would have been implicated in everything that had happened. Wesker and I laid low for a while."

"We would have managed ... "

"No, you were all that I had left and I wasn't going to have you hunted down like an animal just for being with me during all of it ... " Rose answered, sternly, "I couldn't let that happen to you. It would have been selfish. Especially after everything that you've done for me."

Beth managed to smile and murmur her amusement. "Yeah, I guess so ... "

After a brief moment of silence between the two, Beth spoke again.

"How's that kid of yours?" she asked, "Giving you any trouble?"

Rose laughed softly and rolled her eyes good - naturedly. "As kids will, you know that. She looks like her father and has his attitude. Wesker insists that it's all me, but you know how he is."

Beth joined in with her laughter. "Sounds like everything's going well with you and Wesker. I"m glad that I won't have to pop a cap in his ass."

"As well as it can be between the two of us despite his constant bitch sessions," Rose answered. She was quiet once more before she spoke again and she sounded pained, piteous and guilty all at once. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Beth, I really am."

Beth smiled somewhat. "Well ... in the end, I suppose it worked out anyway."

Rose gave her friend another hug before she looked over to the Hummer where Krauser was waiting. "There's somewhere I need to stop at today. Maybe when I come back, we can catch up."

"Yes. I'd like nothing more!" Beth said, grinning happily.

Just as Rose turned, Beth smirked. "Is that meathead still alive and kicking?"

"I heard that!" Krauser called, from the vehicle.

The two women snickered carefully at that and Rose immediately spoke seriously now. "Beth, I love you, girl," she told her, "I'll be back this time, I promise. I'll bring her for you to meet too."

Beth nodded. "Sure, sure." She paused, listening to the sounds of the Hummer roaring to life before she cupped her mouth and called to her friend. "SHE'S NOT PICKY LIKE YOU, IS SHE?"

Rose laughed softly at the joke and looked up at Krauser as they began to pull away. "One more trip, big guy," she told him.

He nodded his head.

_Raccoon City_

Rose stood in the small snow fall, staring solemnly down at a hand-crafted tombstone that she had fashioned with her own two hands. The snow didn't bother her as much as the pain that welled up in her chest. The tombstone read:

JONAS E. BURTON

Date of Birth: December 14th, 1991

Date of Death: June 6th, 2019

"Here rests the bravest man ever known."

Rose placed a white-petaled flower against the stone and a small, wrapped Twinkie. She chuckled sorrowfully to herself and stared down at the tombstone with anguish. It wasn't fair sometimes. Life and death. Sure, she could live forever, but her friends could not. Sometimes it just wasn't fair to see that happen.

"They're your favorite, big guy ... " she whispered.

Behind her, another black Hummer pulled up and Wesker stepped out of it. He watched Rose staring at the grave marker and tilted his head to one side before he walked over to her and noticed that she seemed to have been crying.

"I misjudged that fat little man, haven't I?" he murmured, "He sacrificed his life to destroy Alex's kingdom. Hehe. There aren't many who could do that these days."

Rose chuckled softly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. "No. There wasn't anybody like Jonas."

"Indeed." Wesker turned to go and Rose followed him.

After a few moments, Wesker reached out, took her hand in his and they walked back to their vehicles. It was uncertain of the future for them both. Things could go from good to worse, but that was something that they were ready for.

Now, they were ready for anything.

_Moon hangs around  
A blade over my head  
Reminds me what to do before I'm dead  
Night consumes light  
And all I dread  
Reminds me what to do before I'm dead_

_The sun reclines_  
_Eats my mind_  
_Reminds me what to leave behind_  
_Light eats night_  
_And all I never said_  
_Reminds me what to do before I?m?_

_To see you_  
_To touch you_  
_To see you_  
_To touch you_

_Epochs fly, reminds me_  
_What I hide, reminds me_  
_The desert skies_  
_Cracks the spies_  
_Reminds me what I never tried_  
_The ocean wide salted red_  
_Reminds me what to do before I?m?_

_To see you_  
_To touch you_  
_To feel you_  
_To tell you_

_The sun reclines - remind me_  
_The desert skies - remind me_  
_The ocean wide salted red_  
_Reminds me what to do before I?m?_

_Echo:_  
_See you_  
_Touch you_  
_Feel you_  
_Tell you_

THE END


End file.
